


Like It Was Yesterday

by twilieighplants



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Cancer, Character Death, F/F, F/M, M/M, Minor Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife, Minor Axel/Saïx (Kingdom Hearts), Minor Demyx/Zexion (Kingdom Hearts), Minor Terra/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts), Minor Zack Fair/Aerith Gainsborough, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reno/Kadaj - Freeform, Reno/Roxas - Freeform, Riku/Sora (Kingdom Hearts) - Freeform, Romantic Chocobros, Slow Burn, anxiety induced panic attack, more past aerith/cloud, past Riku/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:34:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25390957
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twilieighplants/pseuds/twilieighplants
Summary: Roxas returns to his hometown after finishing his college degree and is forced to face the past he thought he left behind.---updates every Sunday.
Relationships: Axel/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 51
Kudos: 46





	1. Prologue: When it All Began

**Author's Note:**

> It's finally here!! I am so excited to be sharing this! I've been working on this for the past several months and I think you all will really like it. I'll be adding tags and ships as I update the story to not spoil the story. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! Kudos and comments are HIGHLY appreciated! <3

Roxas stood in the lobby, twisting the band around his finger. The longer he waited for the plane, the easier it was for the anxiety and remorse to creep into his skin and down to his bones. 

His dad had passed away from stage four prostate cancer after being in remission for 4 years. Roxas wondered what would’ve happened if his doctor appointment was sooner. Would it have made a difference? Probably not, but maybe he would’ve come back home sooner. His teachers would’ve understood. 

After all, they had all transferred him into their online class so he could be with his family for the rest of the semester. He had already planned on sending his teachers really nice Christmas gifts to say how grateful he was. 

Looking at his watch for what must have been the third or fourth time in an hour, Roxas sighed and grabbed his phone to see if he had received any messages from his boyfriend.

Axel said he’d be on the first plane out, but that was the last time they had spoken and Roxas was growing worried. It wasn’t like Axel to go against his promises and it wasn’t like him to not show up. At least, that’s what Roxas keeps telling himself.

Time continued to drag, and Roxas felt the familiar burn behind his eyes as the flight Axel was supposed to be on landed. Despite the circumstances, despite his father’s death and how he knew it was going to affect Axel, he was really excited to see him. All he needed was Axel by his side, holding and squeezing his hand gently as he attended his father’s funeral.

A line of people started walking out of the tunnel that led from the plane and Roxas perked up, anxiously searching the faces for his boyfriend. 

When the last of the people trickled out, Roxas’ heart dropped into his stomach. Axel was nowhere to be seen.

Grabbing out his phone, he checked his phone to make sure he had the right terminal. When he confirmed he had the right one, he dialed Axel’s number only to have the call go straight to voicemail.

Cursing, Roxas hung up the phone before looking around to make sure his boyfriend wasn’t hiding from him to surprise him. 

His phone started to ring and he jumped, wiping away tears that had managed to slip past his cool facade. This had to be Axel, calling to tell him he was running late.

A sob got caught in his throat when he saw it was his cousin Sora. 

“Hello?” He answered, clearing his throat to try and get rid of the tight feeling that had formed.

“Roxas? Hey, you and Axel on your way?” Sora asked.

A sob escaped before he could hold it back. Roxas clapped a hand over his mouth to stifle anymore that welled up, and he closed his eyes to gather some composure before he replied. 

“Roxas? Is everything okay?” Sora’s voice filtered through the speakers, filled with concern.

Sora’s voice forced him into action. He scrubbed at his eyes and then checked his pockets, looking for his keys. He clenched his teeth before speaking, his voice coming through in an angry whisper, “He didn’t show up Sora.”

Sora was silent for a moment. “....what?!” he gasped.

He gave the terminal one last look before making his way through the airport towards the parking lot. It was all he could do to keep from crying, but he sniffled as he talked to Sora, “Axel, he wasn’t on the plane. I called him and his phone went to voicemail. When we spoke last night he said he’d be here. Why isn’t he here Sora?” 

Silence again.

“I don’t know Roxas,” Sora replied after another long pause. “Maybe he missed the plane and had to catch another flight. Come home, he’ll show up. I know he will.” Sora promised.

Roxas agreed and told him he’d be there soon. He ended the call, opened his car, and sank into the seat with a watery sigh. Before he started it up, he took a moment to look at his phone, reading the last message he had received from Axel.

My flight will be there at 9 am. I’ll be there soon. I love you. 

With a heavy sigh and an even heavier heart, Roxas pocketed his phone and headed back home.


	2. Welcome Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New tags have been added! Please review them before reading the chapter! If you have any questions, feel free to drop them in the comments and I'll answer them as best as I can.

It had been almost 6 years since he’d stepped inside his family home. Roxas stood on the sidewalk to take it in, studying the subtle changes from what he could remember. Rose bushes grew underneath the front window, accented by tulips in full bloom. A birdfeeder stood in the flower bed triangle that shaped the walkway, surrounded by more flowers that Roxas wasn’t able to identify. 

It had been years since Roxas had been in his hometown, and the last time had been when he had returned for his father’s funeral. He hadn’t stayed long, although he’d finished out the semester while he stayed with his mom. He helped her find and move into a new apartment and stayed to assist with the process of selling the house.

Last time, he hadn’t looked back on the house, remembering all of those painful bittersweet memories. He never thought he’d be able to look at the house again without remembering all the painful reminders of what he had lost. 

But this time, it was different. This time he was coming back under happier circumstances, ready for a new and hopeful start. Starting today, he’d be living here again with his brother and his brother in law. This time he had things to look forward to: starting up his very own therapy practice in town, not to mention his high school reunion. This time, he was coming home to stay-- at least, for a little while.

Taking another deep breath and shaking the nervous energy out of his body, Roxas headed up to the front door of his childhood home. Even though Ven and Terra had sent him pictures of the renovations they'd done over the past few years, it’d be different to see them in person. Roxas was seeing it for the first time since his mother had sold it.

“Ventus? I’m here!” Roxas called out to his twin brother as he walked into his house, setting his things under the table by the door. He glanced around the small hallway, admiring the decor that Ventus had used to decorate their childhood home.

“He left about twenty minutes ago to get some drinks and snacks, he said to tell you to make yourself at home.” Terra, Ventus’ husband, said as he walked up to greet Roxas with a small hug. “Welcome home, Roxas. We’re so glad to have you stay with us.”

Roxas returned the hug and gave Terra’s arm a small squeeze as they parted, “It’s good to see you Terra.” he said. He’d always liked Terra, even when he and Ventus were in highschool. Terra was a jock, but never cared for the stereotypes. Roxas always considered him a gentle giant.

“Where’s Xion?” Terra asked as he grabbed up Roxas’ bag and hitched it onto his shoulders. 

“She’s staying with Kairi and Olette.” Roxas answered, looking at the photos on the wall, admiring each one. 

Wedding photos of Terra and Ventus were strategically placed along the wall. He looked at the other photos, admiring the pictures of their parents and their close cousins. He noticed a framed painting that hung above the key hooks, recognizing the signature of their cousin Naminé, on the corner.

He smiled, proud of his cousin before returning his attention back to the wall of photos. Stopping at one one of the pictures, Roxas froze. 

It was Roxas and his ex, with whom he had not spoken with since his sophomore year of college.

The photo itself was taken during Roxas’ high school graduation. Axel cradled Roxas in his arms, grinning from ear to ear. Roxas had one arm looped around his neck while the other held his graduation cap aloft. It had been one of the happiest moments of his life and he thought his mom had destroyed all the copies when they’d broken up. 

He’d never admit that he had a copy hidden in his photo albums.

“Ventus didn’t feel right throwing it away,” Terra explained as he came down the stairs. Roxas’ bag was missing, so he must’ve put it up in the bedroom. Terra gave him a sympathetic smile as he watched Roxas touch light fingers to the glass. “Said he was more than just your boyfriend, he was family.” His chest grew warm as he ran a finger over Axel’s face. It was hard to admit, but he still missed him after all these years. Ven was right, Axel had been family.

Roxas dropped his hand and turned to Terra, giving him a smile, “Yeah, despite everything that happened, I still care about him. He was my best friend. He was there for me the first time Dad had cancer.” He said, glancing at the photo one last time before moving farther into the house.

“It’s...odd, thinking about it now. He even called your father ‘dad’ and he was always around, I mean, he was always around, it was like you two were already mar--- ah sorry, forget I mentioned it.” Terra said sheepishly before he walked into the kitchen to grab some beers. 

Roxas poked his tongue into cheek at the slip up, “He and Dad were close. Axel’s home life wasn’t always the best and when dad found out, he gave Axel a key and told him anytime he needed to escape, he could come over. Dad loved him, a lot.”

He smiled, remembering his father and Axel laughing at something around the kitchen table. “Did you know my dad helped him apply for college and helped him get his financial aid together? Apparently he had helped him apply for that scholarship he earned too.” He sighed at the memory, thanking Terra as he handed him a beer.

Terra sat down and took a swig of his own drink before leaning back on the couch. He stared at the bottle for a bit before he spoke again. His voice was so casual, Roxas knew Terra wasn’t sure how to say what was on his mind. “Ven and I ran into him earlier this week, his father passed away a few weeks ago and I guess he’s here to clean up the house and sell it.” Terra gave him a pointed, questioning look. “Are you going to see him?” he asked.

Roxas took a sip of his own drink, thinking it over before he finally shrugged. “Maybe. Xion said it may give me closure. I just don’t know if I can face him,” Roxas admitted. “Six years is a long time to forgive and forget, but he didn’t show up when Dad passed away. A man who treated him like his own _son_ , ” he said biting back the bitterness that threatened to creep into his voice.

“Yeah, maybe seeing him will give you that closure. And you know we’re here for ya if you do decide to talk to him.” Terra gave him a reassuring smile.

Roxas returned the smile, feeling some of the tension in his chest loosen up. “Thanks Terra. I have no clue what my plans are or what my decision is gonna be, but I appreciate the support nonetheless.”

They sat in companionable silence for a bit after that, each lost in his own thoughts. The front door opened and broke through the quiet that had settled between them, revealing Ventus with several bags on his arms. “I’m home!”

Terra quickly stood up to greet his husband. “Baby. Why didn’t you text me?” he asked as he grabbed a couple of the bags.

Ventus just smiled, handing the bags to Terra. “I knew you’d be busy entertaining our new roommate and I didn’t want to interrupt!” He said placing the bags on the counter. He wrapped his arms around Terra’s waist and leaned up to give him a kiss on the cheek before going to greet his twin.

Roxas stood up and gave Ventus a hug. “It’s so good to see your face,” Ventus teased as they parted.

“What, looking in the mirror doesn’t help?” Roxas teased back, reaching up to ruffle Ven’s hair.

Ventus swatted at his hands before fixing his hair. “I saw Sora and Riku at the grocery store. Did you know they’re engaged? Looks like you’re the only one left Rox,” he teased.

Roxas gave him a tight lipped smile. He hadn’t spoken to Sora in years, they’d cut ties their sophomore year of college, “Yeah, I did, but thanks for reminding me,” he huffed.

“You know who else I saw at the grocery store?” Ven grinned, then kept going before Roxas could guess. “Axel! Maybe you two could rekindle what you had, it’s been long enough right?” Ventus suggested as he started putting groceries away.

Roxas took a sip of his beer, his eyes widening as he realized what Ven had said. Were the probabilities of running into his ex that high? Was he going to have to look over his shoulder for as long as he lived here? What if they ran into each other? What if Axel wanted to strike up a friendship again? Could he do that, knowing what he knew about Axel? Maybe he could go to another grocery store, the one that was on the other side of town. He shook his head, knowing he was being childish. 

“Oh, well, he’s married, so rekindling what we had is kind of out of the question.” Roxas shrugged, then rested his beer on his knee, not wanting to look at either of them

Ven and Terra both peeked out from the kitchen with matching surprised expressions on their faces. “He’s what?” Ven asked, eyebrows furrowed.

Roxas looked at Ventus and shook his head. “He’s married. Got married a few months after Dad died. I guess he found his true love in his college roommate,” he muttered. 

“Funny, he didn’t say anything about it when we chatted at the store. And he wasn’t wearing a ring-- not that I was checking him out for you or anything.” Ven shared a concerned look with Terra before looking over at his twin. “I still think you two should talk. Before you two were boyfriends, you were best friends. Maybe you two can at least rekindle the friendship.” 

Roxas didn’t say anything for a few minutes, frowning down at his shoes as he turned over Ven’s words in his head. Maybe reconnecting with Axel, even if it was on a platonic level, wouldn’t be so bad? It would hurt, but wouldn’t it be worse to go out of his way to avoid him?

He shrugged. “I’ll think about it.”

The three men sat around the living room and talked about the new and exciting things that were going on in their lives. Terra had just received a promotion and was going to be the new lead vet tech at Twilight Veterinarian Hospital, which meant he got to spend more time with kittens that had made their way to the hospital. 

Ventus told Roxas about his teaching job and how he was being tenured at Twilight Town High later that year. “You remember Mr. Braig right? He finally retired. Rumor among the students and the teachers is that he was bribed into retiring because the stuff he was teaching was outdated and he’s starting to forget and confuse things. We thought he was bad back in high school, but my Gods, he’s even worse now.” Ven shook his head as though it was impossible to believe.

Roxas laughed. Mr. Braig was one of his least favorite teachers, mostly because of some weird stroke of fate that landed Roxas in his English class for all four years of high school. He’d be lying if he said he wasn't a little envious of the current students.

“So how about you Roxas? Going to miss your old haunts in Hallow Baston?” Ventus asked him as he stood up to throw away empty bottles that accumulated on the coffee table.

Roxas grabbed his beer and leaned back into the couch with a laugh. "The day I quit that crappy job was one of the best days of my life," he said, only half-joking. "The Struggle Building lease in Tram Common is signed and the first deposit is paid. It's official-- you're looking at a certified therapist with his own private office!". 

He had worked as a receptionist for the Hallow Bastion Psychiatric Center while he finished getting his Master’s. Once he’d officially graduated, he started researching places to lease. After weighing all of the pros and cons and reviewing his different options, he made the decision to move back to Twilight Town.

Ventus’ eyes lit up when the realization hit him, “So does that mean you’re back home for good?” he asked excitedly, grabbing Roxas hand. “Mom’s gonna be so happy!”

"Of course, why else would I ask to stay here instead of a motel?" Roxas couldn’t help but chuckle as Ventus grew more excited to the point where Terra placed a hand on Ventus’ knee to make him sit still. “C’mon Ventus, he just got into town, give him a moment to breathe,” he teased.

Ventus huffed and rolled his eyes playfully at Terra before looking over at Roxas. “Fine, but I’m super excited for you Roxy! You know mom is going to be so happy to have you close again.” 

Roxas raised his beer at Ventus before taking a swig. “So, when is everyone supposed to show up for the homecoming celebration I know you have planned?” he asked, smirking at Ven’s flinch and guilty expression.

“That’s not till this weekend, Mom is going to stop by with Prompto and I think we’re going to visit Dad, but that’s about it,” Ventus explained as he pulled his legs up onto the couch. 

Roxas nodded and grabbed his phone out of his pocket to look at the time. He chewed on his bottom lip before setting his empty beer bottle on the coffee table. “Do you two mind if I get settled into my room?” he asked. “I want to get some things put away before it gets too late.”

“Oh not at all. It’s your old room, by the way. I hope you don’t mind,” Ventus said as he started to get up.

Roxas shook his head waving at his brother to stay seated. “Then I know where it is and before you ask, no, I don’t need help. Thanks though. I’ll be down in a bit.” and ascended the stairs to the second floor. 

He stopped in front of his old bedroom door, a sense of nostalgia washed over him. He could remember when his door was covered with stickers and homecoming campaign posters. Now it was just a door, painted a simple, clean eggshell to match the trim in the hallway. It seemed so unreal, how memories could be erased with a fresh coat of pant. The plain door was a solid reminder that he was well in adulthood. 

Roxas wasn't sure how he felt about that. 

Heading inside, Roxas looked around the fairly bare room. A full size bed sat in the middle of the room, with matching nightstands on either side. A matching dresser was tucked into the corner by the window where a succulent plant stood basking in the sun.

Terra had placed Roxas’ suitcase on the bed where it was waiting to be unpacked. Taking out a briefcase, he placed it in one of the doors for safe keeping. He was in the middle of moving some of his shirts to the dresser when he heard his phone begin to ring.. He quickly grabbed it out of his pocket, saw who it was, and smiled as he answered it. 

“Hey Demyx, how’s Turkey doing?” he asked immediately. 

“Sup Rox, he’s doing good! He settled into my place pretty easily, I think he really likes Ienzo. He hasn’t left his side since he came home,” Demyx explained. 

Demyx and Ienzo were Xion’s next door neighbors and a close friends of theirs. They were also the only people other than Xion he trusted enough to take care of Turkey, his sweet Sphinx cat, while he was apartment hunting.

“Oh good, I’m glad. He wasn’t too much trouble? Didn’t have any separation anxiety?” Roxas asked, chewing on his finger nail.

He knew he was being overly paranoid, but this was the longest he had been away from his cat and he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be away. Finding an apartment could take a while, and even though he knew Terra and Ventus wouldn’t mind, he didn’t want to put the stress on Turkey until he was actually ready to move.

“He had some, but it wasn’t too bad. He just cried at the door for a few minutes, and when I got out the feather toy he didn’t seem to be too worried after that. He’s snuggled up in the shirt you left for him,” Demyx said, pulling Roxas out of his thoughts. 

He felt his chest grow warm at the thought of Turkey contented and happy, and he knew that Demyx would take good care of his cat. “I’m glad to hear it, I promise he won’t be there long,” he said. 

Demyx made a noise that sounded like a scoff. “No worries bro. He’s always welcome,” he promised.

They spoke for a few more minutes, Demyx requesting that Roxas remind Xion to either call or text him when she got the chance. After they hung up, Roxas went back to unpacking his things, placing his clothes in the dresser. He was traveling pretty light; the rest of his belongings had been shoved in a storage locker until he had his own place.

He was in the middle of sorting through important files, when the doorbell rang. Ventus called out for him to get the door, so Roxas quickly put the files away and headed downstairs.  
Standing on the porch was Aerith, graying brown hair braided to the side and holding a bouquet of flowers, most likely from the flower shop where she worked. Her green eyes lit up when she saw Roxas. “Mon doux amour,” she said with a laugh as she brought her hand to his cheek. 

Roxas leaned into her touch and gave her a smile, “I missed you, Mom,” he said, then pulled her into a hug.

Aerith let out a laugh that sounded like she may have started to cry, and wrapped her arms around her son. “I know it’s only been a couple of months since I last saw you, but I missed you too, Roxas. Besides, you’re home now,” she said softly. 

Roxas laughed too, wiping his eyes that had started to water. He held onto her a little longer before letting her go and inviting her into the house.

Ventus and Terra had appeared behind him while they’d been hugging, and both men greeted Aerith with warm hugs. Terra offered her something to drink as Ventus took the flowers to place them in a vase. 

Aerith took a seat and Roxas sat down with her. “Tell me how things have been Roxas,” she asked, taking his hand. 

Roxas chatted with her for a bit, telling her about his trip and places he’d been looking for apartments. When Terra and Ven rejoined them, Aerith cleared her throat to get their attention. 

“I have some news for you guys and I want you all to know before this weekend,” Aerith said as she turned to look at Ventus. She reached out so she held both of her sons’ hands. 

Roxas and Ventus shared a look before turning their attention to their mom. Roxas’ heart dropped into his stomach as he waited for his mom to continue. Many scenarios ran through his mind as he tried to think of what it was that his mom wanted to share. Had she gotten sick? Was she in trouble? She was looking a little more worn down than the last time he’d seen her, but Ven would’ve said something if she hadn’t been feeling well.

“Everything okay mom?” Ventus asked, airing the question that was on their mind. Apparently he didn’t know, either.

Aerith gave her sons a reassuring smile, sensing the anxiety that was on their minds, “For the past few months, I want to say, since December? So almost six months, I have been seeing someone,” she said. 

Roxas felt the heavy feeling in his chest drop down into his stomach before it faded away. He forced himself to smile for her sake, though. “Oh, congratulations mom! What’s his name, how’d you guys meet?” he asked. 

Ventus was squirming and with a quick glance, he could tell Ventus was feeling the same way he was; nervous but also super excited. 

“Well, his name is Zack Fair and we met at his retirement party, which happened to hire our shop to prepare the flower arrangements and party supplies. Anyway, we spent the night talking when I wasn’t needed, and he asked me on a date before the party ended. We’ve been seeing each other ever since. He’s the first man I’ve dated who hasn’t been scared off when he learned I’m a widow with kids. He’s so sweet, I think you guys would like him.” Aerith explained wringing her hands in her lap.

So mom is dating? Has been dating for awhile. Roxas thought before shaking his head. It was strange to think of her with anyone other than Dad, but it had been years, and she’d had her time to grieve. It was only natural that she was ready to date again. 

Roxas and Ventus instinctively both reached out to their mom and gave her a hug from either side, “He sounds fantastic mom, seriously, I can’t wait to meet him.” Ventus said.

Aerith smiled and looked at Roxas, her eyes giving him a happy and hopeful look. Roxas felt some of the nervous energy dissipate, and he gave her a genuine smile. “I can’t wait to meet him either mom. He sounds like a real keeper.”

Aerith’s face lit up as she received her sons’ blessing, pulling them into an even tighter hug. “I hope you don’t mind, I plan on bringing him to the party this weekend,“ she said, shyly looking at Roxas.

Roxas shrugged, “I don't mind mom, if he makes you happy, that's all that matters to me.” He smiled.

They spent another hour or so catching up before Aerith dusted off her dress and announced she needed to head home, “I have a date tonight, I’ll see you all tomorrow.” She gave all three men a kiss on the cheek before taking her leave. 

After their mom left, Roxas decided he would head out too, just to get some air. He went for a walk, headphones in as he made his way into town.

He walked down the sidewalk, eyes wandering as they glanced at familiar fixtures and buildings he’d passed every day when he was young. Everything seemed so different yet, everything was still the same as it was when he was here last.

His first stop was at the local flower shop. Streletizia, the owner’s sister, greeted him as he came through the door. “Oh Roxas! I heard that you were back in town, but I wasn’t sure! You look great!” she said, moving around the counter to wrap her arms around him. 

Chuckling, Roxas returned the hug before Streletizia stepped away. “Lauriam is currently out right now, but I can tell him you stopped by?” she asked flipping her long orange hair over her shoulder. 

Lauriam was a friend of Axel’s and had inevitably become one of Roxas’ friends, too. They weren’t super close, at least not as close as Lauriam and Axel, but Roxas did consider him a friend. 

“Oh, yeah! Tell him I said hi, and I’ll try to catch him later. But I was actually here to pick up some flowers. Did you have any sunflowers in?” Roxas asked, grabbing out his wallet. Summer was coming to an end and with the annual sunflower festival having passed a few weeks ago, Roxas wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t have any in stock.

She tapped her chin in thought. “Hmmm, we didn’t get any this morning, but let me check in the back. One sec!” She disappeared for so long that he started thinking over other alternatives, but to his relief she reappeared, holding a couple. 

“You’re in luck! These are our last ones!” She gave Roxas a warm smile as she rang him up. 

Roxas paid and thanked her for the flowers, promising to stop by to see Lauriam. Then he continued his walk, following the path until he reached the cemetery. 

Even though it had been almost six years since his father passed away, it felt like he had just gotten the news today as Roxas made his way to his father’s resting place. He chewed the inside of his lip but soon released it and his eyebrows furrowed as he approached the gravestone.

The gravestone read ‘Cloud Strife, beloved friend, father and husband’ with a photo of his father in his Class A uniform. Underneath the engraved writing laid a bouquet of flowers; a mixture of gladiolus, moonflowers, and jasmine.

He knelt down to examine the bouquet closer. They looked fresh, like they’d just been placed there only a few minutes ago and he’d just missed the person in passing. He stood up again, scanning the cemetery to see who could’ve placed the flowers on his father’s grave. Maybe Ventus and Terra had made a stop earlier that day, or maybe his mom had stopped to talk to him before arriving at the house. He heard a car pull away behind him, so he turned to look. For a moment, he swore he had seen familiar red hair.

Shaking his head to clear it, Roxas knelt down again and reached out to the gravestone, saying a quick prayer to the Six before setting the sunflowers next to the other bouquet before pressing his fingers to his lips and pressing them onto the gravestone. 

“I miss you dad,” he whispered, and pressed his lips together to fight back the tears that had started to form. He said one more prayer before standing up to make his way back to his new (old) home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to post a few days early as a way to reward myself for making through this week (it's been incredibly long for me). Which means no new chapter this Sunday AND I won't be sharing anymore new chapters until next weekend!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> \---
> 
> Mon doux amour - My sweet love
> 
> \---
> 
> gladiolus - rememberence  
> moonflowers - out of the darkness comes creative blossoming (however, the actual flower will make sense later)   
> jasmine - love (will also make sense later)


	3. Encounters of the 8th Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new tags, make sure to review them before reading

Early the next morning, Ventus urged Roxas to leave the house so he could spend the day cleaning and getting ready for the party they had planned. So, after a few quick calls and texts, Roxas found himself at the local café surrounded by his closest friends from high school. 

Olette, Kairi, Xion, Pence, and Hayner all sat in the back corner booth, drinks already ordered and sitting in front of them as Roxas approached the table. It filled him with warmth to see his friends for the first time in years, in a place where they had spent so many evenings after high school studying or waiting for the dance to start. Sometimes it was where they agreed to meet up on the weekends just to hang out. 

Roxas hadn’t realized how much he had missed his friends until now. He felt bad, thinking about how he’d just ghosted them when his father passed away. But he’d been going through a lot, and pushing his friends away seemed like the best idea to help him deal with everything. 

Seeing them now, Roxas realized that had been a big mistake-- one he planned to fix now that he was back in town.

He waved to everyone when he finally reached the table, laughing as Pence and the others stood up to hug him. He gave each of his friends a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek for Olette and Kairi. 

Taking their seats, Hayner patted the chair next to him and gestured for Roxas to take a seat. 

“We hope you don’t mind, we ordered your drink for you. You still like peppermint mochas, right?” Olette asked, passing a mug that had whipped cream and peppermint shavings on top. 

“I’m surprised you guys remembered,” Roxas said, grabbing his spoon. He scooped up some whipped cream from the top and savored the rich taste. Xion shook her head as she watched Roxas devour the sugary treat

“Of course we’d remember, why wouldn’t we?” Hayner perked up and asked. 

Even though he had been in town when his father passed away, Roxas hadn’t felt up to answering their calls or texts. He hadn’t had the energy to handle the short visits with prepared meals and sympathetic glances, not when he’d been helping his mom with all the legal affairs. And with Axel ghosting on him without a word or any indication or what was going on, Roxas sequestered himself into a deeper isolation, hiding from everything in the small two bedroom apartment his mom was renting while he tried to find a way to keep moving forward. 

For them to welcome him back with open arms and his favorite sugary drink….it brought tears to his eyes. 

Roxas scooped up some more whipped cream and shrugged as the sugary cream and peppermint mixed on his taste buds. “I guess I just didn’t expect it, is all.”

Despite his younger self believing it was for the best, he wished he could sit down with nineteen year old Roxas and explain to him that feeling hurt and scared of losing his friends was a normal feeling to have when dealing with loss and a break up, but complete isolation, while it seemed like a good idea at the time, could have lead to far more negative damages to his mental health. 

He was thankful for Xion during that time. Despite being Kairi’s best friend, she didn’t really know Axel well, nor did she really know about his and Roxas’ relationship at the time. So when she showed up to check on his mother, she never gave him sympathetic looks or ‘He doesn’t know what he’s missing out on’ comments that would make Roxas’ heart hurt. She just helped him move on and focus on himself. They had become fast friends and when she started attending Hallow Bastion University, the same University he attended, they agreed to move in together. 

“We don’t blame you, you were going through a lot,” Kairi said, giving Roxas a small smile. Your dad had passed away, and Axel-- well, you had a lot on your plate Roxas, you can’t blame yourself.” 

Roxas stilled at her voice, spoon still in his mouth as he looked over at his friend. He set his spoon down and licked his lips. “Regardless of what Axel had done, it didn’t excuse my behavior,” he said. “You guys wanted to be there for me and I refused to let any of you in.”

It was silent for a moment before Hayner clapped his hand onto Roxas’ shoulder. “It’s in the past, all we can do is move on from it. None of us hold it against you. Like Kairi said, you were going through a lot. I think I speak for everyone here when I say any of us would’ve done the same thing if we were in your position.” 

Everyone voiced their agreement and nodded, which helped Roxas feel a little better. He finished off the whipped cream before taking a sip of his peppermint mocha. He licked his lips and set his drink down. 

“Well, like you said, here isn’t much we can do now except catch up. And I’m in town for the foreseeable future, so we’ll have plenty of opportunities to hang out again. Speaking of-- You guys are gonna be at the party this weekend right?” he asked.

“Yeah of course! We wouldn’t miss it for the world!” Xion exclaimed. Another round of agreements and questions about when the party started.

“Isn’t it weird? Staying where you grew up?” Pence asked as he stirred his drink.

Roxas shrugged leaning back in his chair. “It’s weird in the sense that I expect it to look as it did when I was a kid. But it’s not. Ventus and Terra have done a lot of renovations to really fit their needs. It doesn’t really feel like my childhood home anymore.”

“Remember freshman year when Pence and I came over to spend the night and the three of us decided to sneak out to get snacks and we didn’t know your dad was home? I think I nearly peed myself.” Hayner laughed.

“What happened? You guys never told me about this!” Olette exclaimed, patting the table in excitement.

Roxas snorted as he remembered how annoyed his dad had been to find them sneaking out in the middle of the night. When they’d explained where they were going and how they hadn’t wanted to wake his mom or Prompto, his dad had just sighed and shook his head in exasperation. Roxas laughed with the others, shaking his head. “Dad asked where we thought we were going and we explained we didn’t want to wake up Prompto or mom. I think he was irritated that we were going to go out on our own so late, but he didn’t yell at us or anything. He just got his keys and he took us to the gas station and we got our snacks.” 

“Yeah, Cloud was really cool. You would’ve really liked him, Xion,” Hayner said as he sipped his drink. Roxas smiled into his drink, cherishing that happy memory he’d forgotten.

They all ordered more coffee and hot chocolate as they talked about their lives and what they were doing now. Pence was a video game developer for a local gaming company, Hayner was the Physical Education teacher at Twilight Town High School. Olette was a nurse at a small hospital in Twilight Town, and Xion had opened her bakery ‘Chamber of Sweet-crets’ in downtown Hallow Bastion. Kairi had started her last semester at the Fashion Institute of San Fransokyo, but was currently in town for her father’s -- Axel’s father’s-- funeral.

“I’m so sorry Kai, if you need anything, please let me know if there is anything I can do,” Roxas said as he reached over and took Kairi’s hand. Violet eyes looked up at Roxas and started to fill with tears. She quickly shook her head, wiped her eyes, and waved her hands at her friends. 

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” she assured them as she regained her composure. “I really appreciate it Roxas. I haven’t seen Dad since Axel graduated high school and it’s just, it hurts because he was awful, but at the same time, I wanted answers. Axel, Reno, we all deserve answers as to why our father treated us the way he did. Why didn't he care? And now? Now, we’ll never know. His love for the bottle was stronger than his love for his kids.” She let out a shaky sigh before wiping her eyes again. 

Roxas gave her a sad smile before squeezing her hand again before moving to grab her a napkin. “I remember Axel telling me about everything you guys went through. How things just got worse when Reno went off to college. Please let me know if there is anything we can do okay?” 

Kairi nodded. “Thank you Roxas.” 

Leaning back in his seat, Roxas took a sip of his peppermint mocha as his friends started to change the subject, suggesting things to do now that Winter was in full bloom. 

“There’s that ice skating rink that just opened!” Olette suggested, which was followed by Hayner shaking his head, “It’d be better to wait till next week, let the hype die down first.” he said. 

“We should go somewhere, maybe check out Tram Common? I heard they’re showing old Mickey Mouse cartoons on the old movie projector.” Pence said as he finished his drink. 

Roxas glanced at his watch and winced. He had told Ventus he would pick up some stuff for the party and he had a little over an hour to do so. He gave Pence a regretful smile and shook his head.

“I’m gonna pass, I have to pick some stuff up for this weekend and I promised I’d check in with Demyx,” he said, picking up his mug and finishing off the contents.

They sat for a few more minutes as Pence went to pay for their drinks, grabbing a to-go peppermint mocha for Roxas, before they all said their good-byes.

Roxas stood and waved to his friends with a “see you all tomorrow,” before he headed out of the cafe and to his car. He got inside and looked where his friends were still standing around, joking around and laughing. He felt a warmth spread across his chest. He knew he couldn’t go back in time to fix the damage he had inflicted, but he knew his friends loved him and were understanding. They had their whole lives to make up for the time they had lost. 

After a few moments, Roxas pulled away from the curb and headed to the grocery store.

It didn’t take long for him to arrive and find a decent parking spot. He headed inside with a cart and started making his way through the store. He picked up some necessities he needed like Shampoo, then headed over to the junk food section of the store. As much as he loved his brother and brother in law, he wasn’t ready to start changing his eating habits to match their much healthier lifestyle.

As he browsed the shelves for cereal, he was slowly pushing his cart as he moved. When he couldn’t find anything that sounded good, he turned around the aisle to go to the next one. His cart ran into a parked cart that sat in front of the shelves, which startled him. 

“Oh shit, I am … so... sorry,” his voice trailed off as his eyes met a familiar face with striking green eyes. He felt the blood drain from his face as he stared up at his ex boyfriend. 

“Roxas,” Axel said his name with a surprised, yet happy sigh and a smile and Roxas could tell he was fighting a battle to move to hug him. So he moved away from his cart and stood awkwardly in front of him before opening his arms a little, inviting him in against his better judgment.

Axel gave him a small relieved smile before moving to hug him. Roxas wrapped his arms around him tightly, a rush of nostalgia and longing rushed over him. The scent of strawberries and creme shampoo filled his senses and suddenly Roxas felt like he was home. 

Roxas had known he had missed Axel, but he was starting to think it was more than just missing his ex-boyfriend.

After a few moments, they separated but their hands stayed on each other’s forearms, neither of them quite ready to let go. “I didn’t know you were in town, where are you staying?” Axel asked.

Roxas took a moment to gather his thoughts as the overwhelming need to cry washed over him. He took a deep breath and let it out before speaking. 

“Oh, um, I’m staying with Ventus and Terra. I’m actually moving back to Twilight Town to open my own practice,” Roxas answered. Then someone came up from behind Axel and placed his hand on Axel’s back, and the moment was broken. Roxas released his hold on Axel and looked up at the man who could only be Axel’s husband. 

The stranger was about the same height as Axel, with blue hair that was braided to the side and friendly green eyes. He didn’t seem upset to have witnessed his husband essentially holding hands with a complete stranger, but then, maybe he hadn’t noticed how close they’d been.

“Oh, this is Isa, Isa, this is Roxas,” Axel said, motioning between the two.

Isa’s eyes lit up as he moved towards Roxas, extending out his hand. “It’s so nice to finally put a face to the name. Axel’s told me all about you,” he said shaking Roxas hand and giving it a small squeeze.

Roxas gave him a polite smile, but he could feel his heart began to race. Isa was probably a very nice person, but he didn’t want to stand here and have an idle chat with an ex-boyfriend and the ex’s husband. Swallowing around the sudden lump in his throat, he turned back to his cart, “Well it was nice seeing you again, Axel, and nice meeting you Isa, but I need to get going. Lot’s to do,” he said quickly maneuvering his cart to go around them. Axel put a hand on his cart, forcing him to stop.

“Roxas, do you mind if we could meet up sometime? Have coffee or lunch? I’d really like to catch up,” Axel said, looking at Roxas with a hopeful look. 

Chewing on his lip and not quite meeting Axel’s face, Roxas nodded quickly. “Yeah, we can,” he said, then all but ran into the next aisle, putting distance between himself, Isa and Axel. He finished up his shopping, grabbing only the items Ventus and Terra asked him to pick up before fleeing the store. 

He headed out to his car, tossing his bag into the back seat before he got into the front seat. He gripped the steering wheel as tears started to form in his eyes. He rested his forehead against the steering wheel, his chest heaving with each sob that escaped him. 

He took a few deep breaths, focusing on his surroundings and trying to pull himself from the panic attack. Leaning back on his seat, Roxas closed his eyes, relaxing his grip on the steering wheel. That helped, and after a few more minutes of controlled breathing, he started his car once he felt comfortable enough to drive and headed home.

The grocery store was only a few blocks away, but for Roxas, the drive felt too long. His mind kept wandering to how Isa so easily wrapped his arm around Axel’s waist and how Axel just leaned into it.

He wondered what went wrong. Why did Axel stay in Radiant Garden when he promised Roxas he would show up? How long had he been cheating on Roxas? And why would he want to meet up when it was clear that he was so happily married to the man who had stolen him from Roxas? And why had Roxas agreed to meet up with him? Did Axel really think that saying ‘sorry’ would be enough to rekindle their friendship? Had he ever really loved Roxas at all? 

That question made his eyes burn and blur with tears. He shook his head and roughly wiped his eyes with one of his hands as he drove. There was no point in trying to figure out what was going through Axel’s head, and he needed to get home.

He parked his car next to Terra’s SUV and took another deep breath, trying to soothe the lump that had formed in his throat. He clung to the steering wheel as he rested his head against his forearms and wept, finally allowing the tears to run freely down his face. He stayed like that for a few minutes trying to regain enough composure that he’d be able to make it through the front door without making too much of a scene

Once inside, Roxas walked inside and dropped the bags on to the floor and closed the door. He leaned against the wall as tears rushed down his cheeks and onto his shirt. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes. 

“You’re fine. What you’re feeling is normal,” Roxas mumbled to himself, wiping excess tears that had fallen down his cheeks. “Seeing him just triggered emotions you hadn’t thought about or felt in years, it’s a normal reaction.” he rubbed at his eyes and wiped away the tears that had rolled down his face. 

Maybe meeting up with Axel would give Roxas the closure he needed to move on. All he wanted to know was why? He thought he at least deserved that much.

Sliding down the wall, Roxas buried his face into his hands and counted down from ten slowly to calm himself down. 

Terra and Ventus were in the kitchen and rushed to his side when they saw he was sitting on the floor. 

“Hey, what happened?” Ventus asked, pushing Roxas hair out of his face when he reached him. He looked at Terra, who quickly ran into the hallway to get Roxas some kleenex.

Roxas looked up from his hands at his brother. “I, uh, ran into Axel and his husband Isa.” he explained. 

Terra took the bags after he handed Roxas the box of kleenex.

Ventus moved so he was kneeling in front of his brother and took his hands. “Oh, are you okay? You ran into Axel? What else happened?” he asked. 

Roxas shook his head, “I’m fine, just got overwhelmed after seeing him, I’ll be fine.” he whispered, wiping his eyes. 

Ventus nodded as he stood up. He knew Roxas was stubborn and if he didn’t want to talk about something, there was nothing he could do to change his mind. He looked over at Terra who was leaning up against the archway that led to the kitchen. 

“How about some milk and chocolate chip cookies? Those may make you feel better.” Terra offered. 

Roxas glared up at Terra and huffed, “I’m a licensed therapist, I can control my own panic attacks. I’m already starting to calm down.” he brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arm around his legs. 

Ventus rolled his eyes, “Licensed or not, sometimes self care is chocolate chip cookies and milk. Are you really going to say no to cookies?” he asked, giving Roxas a playful, pointed look. 

Lifting his head, Roxas looked at Ventus and rolled his eyes, a smile pulling at his lips. “Fine, I’ll have some cookies and milk,” he said, taking Ventus’ offered hand and standing up.  
Grabbing a couple of cookies and a small glass of milk, Roxas headed up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sat on his bed and ate his cookies and drank his milk, and had to admit he did feel a bit better. He sighed and fell back against his bed and stared at the ceiling. 

Axel’s words echoed through his head and Roxas found himself in a new dilemma.After all that had happened, and his realization that maybe he wasn’t as over it as he’d originally thought…. Did he want to see Axel again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens....  
> I made it to Sunday! I do have an iron will xD


	4. Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new tags, check them out before continuing!

After eating the cookies and milk, Roxas started to feel better. He sat curled up on his bed, laptop settled in front of him as he looked at potential apartments and furniture he wanted to get for his office. He bookmarked a few of the apartments he liked that also allowed pets before closing his laptop and getting ready for bed. 

Searching through the clothes he had packed for his stay, he let out a frustrated groan. He had forgotten pajama bottoms. Fortunately, he managed to borrow a pair from Ventus and then headed back upstairs to go to bed. 

Unfortunately, sleep didn’t come to him the moment his head hit his pillow. He felt wide awake and no matter how many times he flipped over to get comfortable, he couldn’t fall asleep. His mind kept wandering to his interaction with Axel.

“I’d really like to catch up.” 

Roxas sat up off his bed and grabbed his phone to see the time. It was ten minutes to midnight and he sighed, wondering who was still awake. He knew most of his friends probably went to bed early and his body was still getting used to the new time zone. 

Tapping on Xion’s number, he quickly sent her a message: _you up still?_

Roxas flopped back onto his pillow with a long sigh, staring up at the ceiling. In their fervor to redecorate, Ven and Terra had removed the glow in the dark stars he used to count before he slept. Sure, they were tacky, but he could’ve used the sleeping aid right now, and it was another little reminder that this wasn’t his room anymore. He wondered if Axel had been in the house since his brother had redecorated. He groaned into his pillow, frustrated. Stupid-- why would Axel come to the house and go into his room? He clearly needed more sleep.

Fortunately, his phone chimed a few minutes later-- Xion had read his text. _Yeah, I’m still up. What’s up? Can’t sleep in your new old room?_

_R: Sort of. I ran into Axel today_

_X: WHAT?! You have to tell me EVERYTHING_ , was Xion’s immediate response. 

Roxas chuckled softly before typing out the story of his encounter. He went back several times, erasing the part where Axel asked to catch up, but ultimately typed out in full what Axel had said before he pressed send. 

She took a few minutes to read everything, and he watched the “typing” animation as she began her reply. It stopped, started up again, stopped, and then finally started again before her message came up.

_X: Oof, that’s a lot. How are you feeling? Are you going to see him again?_

_R: I don’t know. He’s married and his husband seems nice enough. I guess I just don’t want to make it weird, ya know? I don’t think I could just be friends with him when he’s happily married and I’m still in love with him._

_X: :( Let me know what you decide, friend, but fwiw I think it’d be a good idea.. Maybe give you some closure._

Roxas looked up at the ceiling as he considered what Xion had said. Would it hurt to get some closure? He did always wonder why Axel had left him for Isa. Why did he promise to show up to his dad’s funeral, only to ghost on him and stop returning his calls? Why would Axel want to meet up with him again? Why NOW, after everything had happened? 

He sighed. He would never know unless he agreed to meet again.

_R: You’re probably right Xi, I’ll think about it some more._

_X: I always am, now get some sleep. I’ll see you later._

They said their good-byes and Roxas plugged in his phone, settling back into bed. After a few minutes of focused breathing, he finally fell asleep. 

The rest of the week felt like a blur of grocery shopping, looking for apartments and trying to catch up with his friends he wanted one on one time with him. Roxas woke up that Saturday morning happy to have nothing socially planned, except for the party that was being held that afternoon.He stretched before grabbing his phone to look at the time. When he saw it was only nine-thirty in the morning, he fell back on the bed. 

Ven and Terra were probably going to spend the day cleaning the house and prepping food for their guests. Roxas had offered to help out and despite his best efforts to convince them he was family and should help out in any way he could, they continuously told him no. In the end he was able to at least convince Terra and Ventus to let him clean up the bathrooms.

The morning of the party, Roxas allowed himself a leisurely lie-in until almost 10 am, despite the fact that he had a lot to do to help get the house ready for that afternoon. He was still groggy, time zones messing with his sleep schedule, and if he was going to be of any use to anyone, he desperately needed a cup of coffee.

He headed down to the kitchen, calling out good morning to the house at large, but neither Ventus or Terra were anywhere to be seen. They must’ve gotten an early start, maybe picking up some last minute items at the store before coming back to start cooking. That was ok, though-- it meant he had more time to himself to wake up properly. Once Roxas found where the mugs were stored, he grabbed one and started making himself some coffee. 

As the coffee brewed, Roxas went over everything he needed to do that day; he needed to call the internet company to schedule an installation appointment at his new office, call the few apartments he had found to set up walkthroughs and check prices on a few pieces of furniture he’d bookmarked to see if it would be cheaper to order online and get it delivered, or show up and get it himself-- and whose truck he’d use to get the pieces to his office. 

A cheerful ding alerted him that coffee was ready, so he left off on his list making to search for the creamer. He found it towards the back of the fridge, and practically had to climb half-inside to reach it. 

As he was midway from grabbing the creamer, someone smacked his ass and he yelped out of the fridge. Rubbing his tender behind, he turned to see Terra’s absolutely horrified expression. He would have laughed if he wasn’t so embarrassed himself. 

Terra stumbled over his words, reaching out like he was going to check and see if Roxas was ok before remembering himself and stepping back. He ended up with his hands over his face, although it did little to hide the red. “I am so sorry Roxas, I swear to the Six I thought you were Ventus!” Terra said through fingers that muffled his voice. “He has those exact pants!”

“I’m just gonna get coffee from Mooglebucks,” Roxas mumbled as he put his mug back in the cupboard. He quickly exited out of the kitchen and headed up to his room. Once he was safely inside he let out a laugh, shaking his head. One thing was for sure, he needed to get an apartment as soon as possible. And maybe a new pair of pj pants.

He felt a little less mortified once he was properly dressed. On his way out of the house, he gave Terra a nod and a closed lip smile, which was just an attempt to avoid laughing at his brother-in-law’s expense. Terra managed a sheepish wave, and then hid behind the morning newspaper again.

Roxas couldn’t be too mad at Terra, it was ultimately his own fault for not double checking the clothes he had brought with him to make sure he had pajamas. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and added ‘pj bottoms’ to the list of things he needed to get while he was out. 

He stopped at Mooglebucks and ordered himself a peppermint mocha blended. He sat down at one of the tables to sip his drink and figure out which errands he could take care of before he’d have to get back to help at the house, and decided to save the office setup for tomorrow, when he’d have more time. He wasn’t that far from the apartment…. Technically he was supposed to meet with the landlord next week, but she had said to email him if he had any questions. If she had time for a quick tour, that could be one less thing to worry about next week. 

Looking at the clock on his screen, 10:55 glared back at him and Roxas picked up his phone and dialed the landlord’s number and leaned forward against the table, eagerly awaiting her answer. 

“Thank you for calling Kingdom Village, my name is Aqua, how can I help you?” Aqua’s sweet voice flowed through the speaker. Roxas sat up when she answered and grinned, “Hi Aqua, this is Roxas, I hope you’re doing well, we spoke on the phone a few days ago, I’m calling to find out if you have time to show me a quick tour of the duplex? I have some time and I’m in the area.” he explained chewing on his lip. 

“Oh hello Roxas, I am doing well, thank you. Oh, let me check my schedule,” Aqua said and through the speaker, he could hear her speaking to someone as papers were flipped, “Sorry about the wait, it does look like my first appointment for the day isn’t until this afternoon, how quickly could you be here?” she asked. 

Roxas had already started packing his things when she asked, “I’m at the Mooglebucks in Tram Common, so I’ll be there in about five-ish minutes?” he explained shoving his laptop into his bag. 

“Oh! Wonderful, I’ll put you on the books and I’ll see you when you get here?” she asked. 

“Yeah, see you then Aqua.” Roxas said before hanging up. He double checked to make sure he had everything he brought with him before grabbing his cup and heading out to his car. 

As he predicted, it didn’t take Roxas long to arrive at the apartment duplexes and he headed into the main lobby of the apartment’s office. The lobby was nicely decorated with framed paintings of black cats and one looked to be of the Rat King from the Nutcracker. Potted plants were placed in corners and smaller plants were placed on the windowsill. 

A woman with short blue hair stood behind the desk speaking to the receptionist about what sounded like details about a remodel in one of the duplexes. Roxas approached the desk and waved, “I’m here to tour one of the available duplexes?” he asked. 

“You must be Roxas! My name is Aqua! I’m the landlord here. I also live here with my wife, so I’m available twenty-four seven! You ready?” Aqua asked, reaching out her hand to Roxas. 

“Yeah, lead the way,” Roxas said after shaking her hand. Aqua grabbed the keys and headed out to the courtyard of the apartments with Roxas trailing behind. As they walked, she told him about the amenities, what utilities he’d be responsible for if he ended up moving in, and other features of the apartment. 

“Here we are, they just cleaned this yesterday, so I’m sorry if the cleaning chemicals irritate your nose or eyes. I’ll open some windows once we get inside,” Aqua said. She unlocked the door and allowed Roxas to head inside first before following him in and shutting the door.

As Aqua went around, opening windows, Roxas stood in the middle of the living room and took it all in. The pictures hadn’t done it justice. It was a two bedroom, one bathroom, and he fell in love. The hardwood flooring would be great for Turkey’s feet, and would keep things cool in the summer when it got warm. He could put Turkey’s bed beside the fireplace, which would be the perfect place for his cat to curl up while he wasn’t sitting on the couch.

The kitchen was the perfect size for two people and even better for just one. He envisioned a small table standing by the back door that led out into the smallish backyard and he could imagine having small barbecues with his family. 

Just standing in each of the rooms, Roxas could picture how he would have his home set up. The bed would be up against the wall with the nightstand. He could place the dresser in front of the windows. The second bedroom would have a hideaway sofa and his desk would sit under the window looking out on the expanding farm land. 

This place was the perfect fit and Roxas was eager to apply and get everything sorted away. Before he left, he filled out an application, paid for a credit check and made sure to shake Aqua’s hand, thanking her for showing him the complex. He headed home feeling lighter than he had in weeks. Finally, everything was falling into place.

After he headed to his car, he received a text from Prompto asking to meet up for lunch. He was excited to see his older brother and while he had plans to see him that evening, he didn’t see anything wrong with having lunch with him. Before he gave Prompto an answer he sent a quick message to Ven asking if he needed to pick up anything. A few moments later, he received a text from Ven saying they were good and didn’t need anything. 

He sent a text to Prompto next, letting him know he could meet up for lunch and would be there soon. 

His next stop was to a small restaurant that Sora and Riku apparently bought when they settled in Twilight Town. According to Ventus, Riku was handling the business side of things whereas Sora handled the cooking and was the face of the restaurant.

Roxas sighed as he looked up at the sign that read ‘Taste of the World’ before exiting his car and headed inside. The place looked eclectic, but he expected nothing less of his adventurous older brother. He spotted Prompto sitting next to Noctis, Riku’s older brother. Prom and Noct had been friends since high school and started dating when they were in college, even though everyone knew they were secretly dating in high school.

“Roxas!” Prompto exclaimed standing up to hug his younger brother and ruffled his hair. Roxas laughed and swatted at Prompto before taking a seat. He gave a closed lip smile to Noctis, who nodded hello.

“Hey Roxas, welcome back to Twilight Town,” Noctis said as Prompto sat back down. 

“Thanks, it’s good to be back. How’d you guys find this place, anyway? It seems very… unique,” Roxas said as he took in the decor. The inside was just as travel-oriented as the front. He hoped the menu wouldn’t be too weird.

“I’ll be sure to tell Riku,” Noct laughed, then took a sip of his drink. Prom outright laughed.

“This is Riku and Sora’s restaurant, remember? The one I told you about? Like…. MONTHS ago?” Prom gestured around, and now that he thought about it, Roxas could sense the Sora-ness of the place. His stomach dropped.

“They’re not here, are they?” he asked, trying to fight the urge to get up and flee.

“Nah, Iris said they’re off today. Probably getting ready for your welcome back party,” Noctis said as he sipped on his water.

Roxas leaned back in his seat a little, relaxing at the knowledge he still had some time to prepare himself from seeing his cousin and his fiancé.

“Prompto tells me you finished your degree and are opening your own practice?” Noctis asked.

Lighting up, Roxas grabbed his phone and went into detail about his new office and how excited he was to start seeing new clients. 

“I still need to buy some furniture for the office and get it set up before next week, but it’s been a dream of mine to open my own practice. It’s finally becoming a reality and I’m just, I can’t contain my excitement.” he sighed as he put away his phone after showing Noctis the photos.

“That’s awesome Rox, I’m really proud of you.” Prompto beamed as their waitress came to take their order. 

Roxas ordered a salad, while Noctis and Prompto ordered different pasta plates.

“How has your tour been? Visited any nice places recently?” Roxas asked after the waitress brought their water and a complimentary mozzarella stick appetizer.

“Actually yeah! We stayed in Altissia for awhile and I think we decided to move there after we finish the tour. I think you’d really like Altissia-- it reminds me a lot of RG, actually. Remember when you and your ex used to visit the museums in Radiant Garden? Altissia has some I think you’d like,” Prompto said, leaning back with his arm behind Noctis.

Roxas chewed on a mozzarella stick slowly, remembering those museums and bakeries in RG. Altissia was where Axel had gone to college since they had a fantastic photography program. Altissia was also known for its photography galleries and a lot of famous photographers had started there. It had been perfect for Axel’s dreams-- and he’d even found the perfect person to complete that perfect life while he was over there. He shook his head, finally swallowing.

“Hmm. Maybe, that’s where Axel and his husband live. Not really sure if I’d want to stay for very long on the off chance of running into them,” Roxas said dismissively.

Of course he’d visit Prompto, he couldn’t expect his brother to always visit him, and he knew he’d have to get over his fear of running into Axel, but for now, if he could avoid him and his lingering feelings for his ex, he would.

They talked until their food arrived, and in between bites, they discussed the photography tour they were on, hitting up wildly requested locations that the agency Prompto worked for had requested. Noctis told Roxas about how his dad was doing and how Regis was planning on retiring in the next year or so. 

When they finished eating, they sat and talked for a little longer before Roxas looked at the time, “I have to go, I promised Ven and Terra that I’d help set up and I need to grab a couple things from the store before I head home. I’ll see you tonight, ok?” He explained grabbing his wallet and placing ten Gil on the table.

——-

When Roxas got home, neither Ventus or Terra were around. There was a message on the fridge whiteboard that read ‘picking up some food for the party, be home soon! - V & T.’

Roxas shrugged and looked around the dining room, realizing that Ventus and Terra had already started putting things out. The dining table had been pushed against the wall to make more room, and the top was covered with bags of chips, paper plates, plastic cups and drinks. He could see that underneath there was an ice chest, most likely filled with soda, water, beer and wine coolers. On the wall behind the table hung a banner in gold and purple that read “Welcome Home Roxas” and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Trust Ven to go all-out with the decorations.

He headed upstairs to his room to put away his new pajamas and other things he had bought. After tucking the pjs into the drawer, he laid out the new outfit he’d bought on the spur of the moment, since most of the clothes he’d brought were work clothes.

It was a simple outfit that consisted of a plain black v-neck, dark wash skinny jeans and his vans. Nothing too formal, but still looked nice, and would be more comfortable than a button-up shirt and tie. It would be perfect for tonight. As he slipped on his new jeans, he heard the front door open and people walk in. Terra and Ven must be home, he thought as he slipped his shirt on and headed downstairs.

“Hey gu—,” Roxas stopped dead in his tracks when he saw it was his cousin Sora and his fiancé Riku.

“Roxas!” Sora exclaimed all but throwing himself at his cousin and giving him a hug. But Roxas couldn’t keep his eyes off Riku, even as he hugged Sora back. Riku looked over at Roxas, an unreadable expression was on his face. It was a mixture of surprise mixed with some sort of guilt. The hairs on his arms started to raise with goosebumps and his fight or flight had been triggered. He felt the tension in the air grow thicker as Riku glanced over at him, holding a cooler of food. He had no idea what to do or say, his mind racing to the last time he had seen Riku and Sora. 

_Roxas stood at the side of the twin size bed that had been his for the past few months. He had packed most of his clothes and belongings and sent them to his new apartment to Hollow Bastion. The new semester was starting in just a couple weeks and Roxas wanted to settle into his new apartment before he had to worry about classes._

_A knock on the doorframe echoed through the nearly bare room and made Roxas turn. He expected his brothers to be standing there, but instead he found Riku, Sora’s best friend and Roxas’.... Well, their relationship was complicated._

_“Sup,” Roxas asked, turning back to finish packing the remainder of his things._

_“Wanted to see how things were going.You heading out tonight?” Riku asked._

_Roxas hummed his answer as he refolded some shirts and placed them in his suitcase, “Semester starts in a few weeks and I promised Xion I’d be moved in before school starts,” he said as he closed his suitcase and placed it on the floor._

_“I see,” Riku said, watching Roxas. He leaned against the doorframe as Roxas moved through the room to make sure he hadn’t left anything behind._

_“If you have something to say, then say it.” Roxas said at last, pulling out his phone to check the time. He still needed to put gas in his car before he headed out and didn’t want to drive after nightfall._

_“Why not stay another semester? You could stay with me and Sora while working at your mom’s shop.” Riku suggested._

_Roxas scoffed and rolled his eyes, “and what? Stay with you guys, continue to sleep with you and watch you silently torture yourself everytime you look at Sora? I’d rather not put myself through that again,” he said._

_Riku crossed his arms defiantly, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”_

_“Oh please! Everyone here **knows** you’ve been in love with Sora since his first day here in middle school, but you’ve been too much of a pussy to tell him how you feel!” Roxas turned to him._

_Riku moved towards Roxas, an intense glare on his face as he approached him._

_“That is not true. I like you. We’re dating, aren’t we?” He said his voice tight._

_“Prove it.” Roxas challenged._

_Riku growled before pulling Roxas into a heated kiss, one hand moving into his hair as the other wrapped around Roxas’ waist. As Riku moved down Roxas’ neck, kissing and nipping, a gentle spoken “H-hey guys,” broke them apart._

_It was an open secret among their friends that Riku and Roxas had some sort of fling going on, and to a lesser extent, that it had happened because Riku was hopelessly in love with Sora and too chicken shit to do anything about it. But throughout their time together, Riku had only insisted on one thingl Their thing, whatever it was, had to be kept secret from Sora._

_Roxas stared at Sora before turning to Riku, a glare on his face, “Why is he here? Did you think inviting him would get me to stay? For someone who **cares** so much you sure are dense aren’t you?” he shook his head and slammed his suitcase closed. Whatever he had left his mom could bring up when she visited him for Thanksgiving. He pulled his suitcase behind him, pushed past Sora and left the apartment._

“Why are you guys here? How did you two get in?” Roxas asked, gesturing behind him to where the front door was.

“We offered to help set up. Ven and Terra must’ve forgotten to mention it to you.” Riku said, looking up from the bag he was scavenging through. “We brought food,” he supplied when Roxas kept staring at him.

“Yeah! We figured you’d be busy doing other stuff, and we needed a day off anyway,” Sora said, finally releasing Roxas from the hug. “Oh, to answer your second question, when you moved out, we all exchanged house keys. To kind of check up on each other. Your mom and Ven, they took your departure pretty hard. Which we all understood, but I think Aunt Aerith wanted more time with you after Uncle Cloud passed away,” Sora explained softly.

A pang of hurt ran through Roxas’ chest after hearing his words and he looked away from his cousin, chewing on his lip. His mom and Ventus acted like everything was alright when he left, telling him they understood the need to leave, to escape the harsh memories that would crush his heart with every turn he took. He placed a hand on Sora’s shoulder, giving it an awkward pat.

“Well, it’s a good thing that I’m here to stay now, right?” he asked, giving Sora a smile. 

Sora’s face lit up as he returned the smile and gave Roxas another hug before heading outside to grab more stuff, leaving Riku and Roxas alone. Roxas gave him a wary look.

“I’m honestly surprised you two showed up,” he said after a few beats of silence. “I figured you were still mad at me. And Sora-- well, I figured he wouldn’t show if you weren’t here.” 

“If you came back the same year, I probably wouldn’t have shown up,” Riku admitted. “I spent a lot of time resenting you for something I knew deep down, you didn’t do intentionally.” His face softened. “Sora helped me realize I projected the anger I held for myself onto you. What we had-- you and me-- it wasn’t good for either of us. I guess I just wanted to come to terms with my feelings before I told him, but then he overheard our conversation, and I couldn’t help but feel like you’d ruined everything. But that’s not fair, I know that now. How were either of us supposed to know he was there?” Riku looked at Roxas.

Roxas shoved his hands into his pockets and nodded. “I understand. Congratulations, by the way, on the engagement. I didn’t know you guys got engaged until Ven told me yesterday.” 

“Oh thanks, yeah, we announced it on Kupobook a while ago, well Sora and his mom did,” Riku said. 

“Right, one day I’ll reactivate mine.” Roxas laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. He’d deactivated the account when he’d decided that he didn’t need anyone in his life-- no one beyond his mom and brothers, that was. It hurt too much to deal with other people. 

“You’re not missing out on much,.” Riku said, giving him a small smile. 

Just as Roxas started to say something, Sora entered with Terra and Ven in tow, arms weighed down in bags. He went to help grab some of them, and helped haul them into the kitchen so they could put perishables away. 

“Hey Terra, will you help Sora and Riku set up? I have something for Roxas,” Ventus said.

Roxas looked between Ven and Terra before following Ven up the stairs. “What’s going on?” he asked, following his brother up the stairs.

When they reached the top, Ven ran into his room, and Roxas reluctantly began to follow. Then there was a blur of pink and something hit him in the face. He picked the thing up from the floor and held it up, discovering that it was a pair of hot pink sequin booty shorts that said “BITE ME.” 

“Ah! What the hell Ven?!” he exclaimed, throwing them back.

Ventus fell to the floor laughing. “If you want to seduce my husband, you gotta try a little harder,” he said once his laughter subsided.

“Clearly he thought I had the nicer ass,” Roxas said, sticking his tongue out at his twin. Ventus tossed the shorts at him again which caused Roxas to yelp and jump out of the way.

“Seriously, why do you have these?” he asked, holding them up to get a better look at them.

“Halloween costume,” was all Ventus would say. Roxas tossed them back to him before heading back down the stairs, where Terra was entertaining Sora and Riku.

“Glad you guys could finally rejoin us!” Terra said as Ventus walked up to him and wrapped his arms around his waist.

“Terra told me you have a cat? I wanna see! Is he here?” Sora asked excitedly. Roxas has forgotten how much Sora loved cats, despite being allergic to them.

Roxas pulled out his phone and brought up his photos app. “Unfortunately, he’s not here, he’s with Demyx and Ienzo. But I have pictures!” He showed them pictures of Turkey and told them how sweet his cat was. Sora had a million questions, which wasn’t surprising to Roxas, but it still made him laugh. He answered them as they came and even promised Sora that once he settled into his new place, he could come over and meet Turkey.

They finished setting up the house when guests started showing up. The first to show up were Hayner, Xion, and Olette. Roxas greeted them, hugging each of them tightly, even though he had seen them a few days before. He offered them drinks and told them to make themselves comfortable. 

Aerith and her new boyfriend Zack were next to show up, and Roxas was nervous. It was different and a little weird. He had spent his whole life with his mom being married to his dad and then five years of her being single. And to only learn about her boyfriend yesterday and then to meet him today…. It was a lot to take in.

Aerith held the arm of a tall man with dark hair and a nervous smile, although he relaxed a little when Aerith moved her arm around his waist. She smiled up at him before turning to her boys.

“Roxas, Ven, this is Zack. Zack, these are my two of my three sons.” Aerith introduced them in the kitchen, tucked into Zack’s side. Zack held out his hand to Roxas and Ven and they took turns shaking it. 

“It’s nice to meet you Zack,” he said.

“I’ve heard so much about you guys, it’s a little embarrassing to admit, but I was really looking forward to meeting you two,” Zack admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

Ventus let out a small chuckle, followed by an “aww”. Roxas just rolled his eyes and smiled at Zack.

“We’ll have to plan dinner sometime so we can sit down while there isn’t so much going on,” Ventus said.

The doorbell rang before anyone could say anything else, and soon more people started showing up. Namine and Lauriam arrived, followed shortly by Prompto and an elegant man who was a few inches taller than his brother. Square glasses perched on his nose, and his hair was swept in front of his forehead.

“Hey guys!” Prompto waved, taking his friend’s hand and leading him to the dining room. He gave Aerith a hug and fist bumped Zack before moving to his brothers. He gave them each a hug before returning to the man Roxas assumed must be his date.

“Guys, this Ignis; Iggy, this is my family. Aerith is my mom and Ventus and Roxas are my twin brothers. You used to tell them apart really well because Roxas dressed like a goth.” Prompto grinned.

“Oh, like Noctis?” Ignis laughed. “You know, we should really convince him to add more color to his wardrobe. Anyway, it’s lovely to meet you all.”

There was a small chorus of “yeah, it's nice to meet you too”, followed by Aerith asking Ignis if he was from Tenebrae. This led to an intense discussion of the continent and current trends in the city that Roxas had difficulty following.

Fortunately, Hayner and Olette dragged Roxas into the living room, and Ventus followed to start a game of Jackbox. They were well into the fourth round when another knock came at the door, and Kairi walked in, followed by Axel.

Roxas’ heart beat rapidly in his chest excitedly as he watched Axel. He couldn’t believe he was there in their living room, saying hi to everyone. Axel stood in front of him and Roxas couldn’t help but check him out. Black skinny jeans were tucked into black boots and a red plaid shirt covered a plain black tee. He looked good, better than good. Isa was a lucky guy.

He felt Ventus tug on the back of his shirt, but he waved him off. “I’ll be fine,” he said quickly, slapping his hand away.

Axel shrugged an awkward hello, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Hey, sorry to crash your party, Kairi kind of forced my hand and said I should say hi.” 

Roxas lifted his hand to touch Axel’s face, only to catch himself at the last moment when he remembered they weren’t alone. Instead he grabbed Axel’s hand and led him upstairs, ignoring his brother’s ‘Keep the door open!’ comment.

He motioned for Axel to walk into his room and followed behind him, closing the door behind them, partially to give them privacy, but also to spite Ven. 

“Wow, your room looks so different. Ven and Terra did a really good job at renovating this place,” Axel said as he looked around the bare room.

“Hm? Oh, yeah, it was weird seeing it for the first time since all the renovations are finished. Maybe I’ll show you sometime, when it’s not so filled with people,” Roxas said, distracted. There were so many things he wanted to say-- to ask; Why didn’t Axel show up? What did Isa have that he didn’t and the one thing that was eating at him to be said, I still love you, you ass. 

There wasn’t much to look at in the room, so Axel inevitably let his attention wander to Roxas, who was also pointedly looking everywhere but at him. “You look like you have something on your mind,” Axel said after a moment.

Roxas lifted his gaze from his comforter to look at Axel again. “Oh, sorry. I’m just thinking about how this is the first time we’ve really spoken since... ya know.” He gestured to the bed as if it had all the answers, and carefully avoided looking at Axel.

Axel nodded slowly, a sad expression on his face as he watched Roxas. “Ah, I see.”

An awkward silence fell over them for a moment before they both tried to speak at the same time. 

“I miss y—,”  
“I’m sor—,”

Roxas blushed and rubbed at the back of his neck and motioned to the bed. “Would you like to sit?” he asked.

“Oh, sure. How...how have you been?” Axel asked as he took a seat on the edge of the bed.

Roxas joined him and nervously started cracking his fingers. “I’ve been good, I’m waiting to hear back from an apartment I applied for. Fingers crossed I get it,” he held up crossed fingers. “What about you?” 

Axel leaned back against the mattress and looked up, “I’m doing okay. Trying to decide what to do with my father’s house,” he said.

“Oh, that’s right, I’m sorry for your loss,” Roxas said quietly.

“No worries. We never had the best relationship. If anything it’s more of a sibling reunion, which has been good!” Axel joked.

Roxas gave him a small smile and shifted so he was sitting on his hands. “How is Reno?” he asked. He couldn’t remember the last time he had really seen Axel and Kairi’s oldest brother, but he was sure it was sometime around Axel’s high school graduation. 

“He’s good. He got married. His husband is really nice. Reminds me of Riku, but more stoic. He really doesn’t talk much now that I think about it,” Axel said with a shrug. 

Roxas raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “I’m surprised he found someone he wanted to settle down with. Honestly, I feel like he had a new partner every week,” he said with a laugh. 

“Remember when he tried hitting on Mrs. Robinson?” Axel asked as he leaned back against the bed. Roxas snorted at the memory and shook his head. “Yeah, he swore up and down he was just joking, but his friends said he wasn’t,” he said. 

Roxas snorted at the memory. “I also remember when I first met Reno. Your father had left for some overnight weekend work trip and I came over to get help with my French project and he answered the door in just his boxers. I remember you were so mad,” he looked over at Axel. 

Axel pushed Roxas' shoulder. “Yeah, because I had a crush on you and didn't realize it,” he said with a slight pout. 

Roxas laughed falling back on his bed, “My favorite memory is when my parents introduced you to my aunt and uncle as my boyfriend even though we weren’t even dating yet,” he said wiping his eyes of the moisture that had built up from laughing. He took a deep breath to calm his laughter. “Fuck, I haven’t laughed this hard in a while.” he admitted.

This was good. It felt natural, just like old times. It was so easy talking to him. Maybe this friendship thing could work. They were talking about the good times, remembering their friendship. And even if Roxas would forever hold something more for Axel, he could manage it if it meant they could hang out like this again. He’d missed this. More than he’d realized. He’d missed Axel.

A comfortable silence fell between them, but was interrupted a few moments later when Axel’s phone went off. “Sorry, lemme answer this,” he said, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him to answer the call. 

Roxas stretched before falling against the bed again as he thought about how natural everything felt. It was like they were teens again, holed up in Roxas’ room as they talked and joked in attempts to get Axel’s mind off a fight he had with his father. It really opened his eyes to how much he missed his ex boyfriend. 

He sat back up when Axel came back into the room.. 

“That was Isa, he’s outside, so this is where I take my leave,” Axel said. 

Roxas would be lying if he said he wasn’t a little disappointed, but masked his face with a smile and stood. “We should do this again,” he said. 

Axel’s face lit up. “Yeah, I’d like that. I really missed you, Rox,” he said. He pulled Roxas into a hug, his arms wrapped around his shoulders. Blushing, Roxas returned the hug and pulled away to look at his ex. 

“Yeah, it was really good to see you, too.” he agreed. 

Axel gave him a shy smile as though there was something he wanted to say. Roxas returned the smile with a small one of his own, his eyes searching Axel’s for anything that told him everything would be alright. That he could handle these emotions and feelings that weren’t going away anytime soon. As Roxas continued to stare deep into emerald green eyes that still made his knees weak, Axel leaned down and pressed his lips to Roxas’ in a gentle kiss.

Roxas stood frozen, eyes wide as Axel kissed him, unsure of what to do. His body’s natural reaction was to kiss him back, but his mind and heart were fighting an internal battle of what was right and what was wrong.

His heart wanted nothing more than to kiss back, to relax into his body and enjoy being with him one more time. He’d missed Axel so much. Couldn’t he just have one more kiss, for old time’s sake?

But his mind was screaming at him to push Axel away, because going any further would make him ‘the other man’ and that didn’t sit well with Roxas. He didn’t know Isa that well, but he wasn’t going to get involved with anything that would hurt the other man, no matter how much he wanted this to happen.

Before he could choose a side, his door knob turned and Axel stepped away, releasing him from the hug. Ventus peeked his head in, giving them an apologetic look.

“Hey guys, sorry to interrupt, um, Isa? Is here to pick you up Ax,” he said.

“Right, I should go,” Axel said, avoiding looking at Roxas as he walked out of the room. Roxas stared after him, disbelieving.

Once again, Axel had shattered his heart in two.

Ventus looked at Roxas with his eyebrows furrowed and concern written all over his face. “Roxas…” he trailed off as Roxas shook his head and put his hand up.

“Later, “ he lied. “Let’s get back to our guests, shall we?” He pushed past his brother to go back to the party.

When he reached the dining room, everyone went quiet as Kairi approached Roxas. “Is everything okay? Axel kind of ran out of here,” she asked.

Biting his lip, Roxas looked over at the front door before returning his gaze to Kairi, “Yeah, Isa was here to pick up Axel. He needed to go so he wouldn’t keep him waiting,” he said with a small smile.

Kairi raised an eyebrow. It was clear she didn’t believe him and would definitely bring it up to him later, but she let it drop for now as Roxas headed back into the party. 

Things felt awkward after that, and Roxas wanted nothing but to hide out in his room. Guests started heading home as the night grew later and eventually the party members dwindled down to Roxas, Ventus, Terra, and Kairi. They sat in the living room, everyone eagerly waiting to hear about what happened. Roxas sighed, knowing he wasn’t going to get away with anything less than the truth, so he laid it out flat.

“There’s not much to say, ok? We just talked a little until he got a call from Isa, and when he returned he kissed me,” Roxas explained, resting his cheek on his hand. 

“He what?!” Kairi exclaimed, grabbing out her phone and started typing furiously. Probably to Pence and Xion, since they hadn’t been able to make it.

“I don’t know why, he’s married! He left me for Isa, I don’t know why he’s deciding now he wants me back. He should’ve thought about that seven years ago,” Roxas spat out bitterly, then fell back in his seat.

Ventus and Terra shared a look before turning back to Roxas. “Maybe you need to talk to him again. Maybe there’s something he couldn’t tell you at the time,” Ventus tried to reason. “He owes you that, don’t you think?”

It was quiet for a few minutes before Roxas stood up and grabbed the controller. “I’ll think about it. Who's up for another round?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh, you guys ;---; your comments make me smile and it's great to see what everyone's thoughts and what they think happened!!
> 
> I couldn't resist Terra getting Roxas and Ventus mixed up. It's honestly, one of my favorite scenes from the story. xD
> 
> The plot thickens, Axel kissed Roxas!
> 
> As always kudos and comments are appreciated! Thanks for reading! <3


	5. Stress Relief

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First and foremost, HAPPY AKUROKU DAY!!! I decided to update early in celebration of our two favorite boys! Even though... Axel's not really in this chapter... 
> 
> BUT, that's neither here nor there. 
> 
> As always, check the tags because there's new ones that have been added!

Chapter 4.

The next morning, Roxas found himself up bright and early despite feeling physically and emotionally drained. He headed into the kitchen and made himself a bowl of cereal, sitting at the island, his laptop opened to look at furniture.

After Kairi had left, he had asked Ven and Terra if they were available to help him move his furniture to the office and they both said they’d be happy to help.

Now the hard part was figuring out what exactly he wanted to buy. He had a few things in storage he considered taking to his office, but none of it was the big stuff like a desk, couches, and chairs. Most of it was decorative and he still wasn’t sure if he wanted it in his office or possibly in his new home, if he got it.

“Oh that’s a nice chair!” Ventus said over his shoulder as he looked at a burgundy colored sofa chair. It was 50% off the original price and he considered getting two.

“Good morning Ven.” Roxas added the chairs to the shopping cart before moving onto desks.

“Morning, you already ate?” Ven asked as he moved to make himself some coffee, waiting for the Keurig machine to warm up.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. Had a bowl of cereal,” Roxas said as he looked at desks that he really liked. He eventually settled on a very simple desk with drawers on the right side which were deep enough to keep his documents that didn’t need to be carefully filed. It was big enough for him to set up his computer as well as enough desk space for him to write down longhanded notes and to keep a framed photo or too. 

He looked for a few more things he needed, like a filing cabinet and a small bookcase. He even found some nice paintings that he thought would bring some calm ambience to his office. Once he was satisfied with everything he had found, he made his purchase. The website had an eta of 12:30, which was more than enough time to get ready.

Ventus took a seat with two plates stacked with pancakes, butter already melted into the spongy cakes. He set one plate down before grabbing the syrup tucked between his arm and side, and placed it on the table. He set the second plate down in front of Roxas with a bright smile.

Roxas looked at the plate before closing his laptop and pushing it away. “Thank you?” he asked as he stood up to get himself some milk. “Milk or orange juice?” he asked as he grabbed out a glass for his brother.

“We’ll need our energy for moving furniture. Orange juice, please,” Ven answered as he poured syrup on his pancakes. He thanked Roxas when he set the glass down and the two brothers ate in silence.

After a few quiet minutes, as Roxas went to take a bite of his pancake, Ventus started to speak.

“You know, I’m really proud of you. Mom, Prom and I, we were all really worried about you. Especially when you isolated yourself from, well everyone,” he explained as he moved a piece of pancake around in syrup that pooled around the plate.

“I had Xion with me and there were a few others that I eventually let in.” Roxas said quietly. He didn’t mention it much to Xion, but he was truly grateful she was there for him and introduced him to Demyx and Ienzo.

“I know you did, I think we were just worried because you hadn’t just lost Dad, you lost Axel, too. That’s a lot for a nineteen year old to deal with. But you managed. You got your degree and now look at you!” Ventus grinned.

Roxas stared at his twin brother who was almost a mirror image, except where Roxas had blue eyes, Ventus had green. Freckles dusted over Ven’s cheeks and nose from years of baseball and swimming. Roxas had freckles, but they had faded over time, only ever coming out when he spent a lot of time out in the sun, which he really didn’t do anymore.

It was another thing to add to his long list of things to get back into. Maybe he’d go hiking on that trail he and his dad used to hike on every summer.

“Ya know, I never did admit it, but it was really hard being without you guys,” Roxas finally admitted after a few moments of silence. “There was a time where I almost just packed my stuff back up and came home, but something held me back. I’m sure in the back of my mind I wasn’t ready to face everyone again.”

“You came back when you were ready, I think that’s the only thing that really matters.” Ventus playfully punched Roxas’ shoulder before finishing up his pancakes and quickly drinking his orange juice as Terra came into the kitchen.

Terra quietly moved around the kitchen making his own plate of pancakes before sitting down. “Good morning, you guys look like you’ve been busy. What’s the plan, Rox?” he asked sipping on his coffee.

Roxas took a sip of his milk before jumping into the game plan. “Everything is ordered and they said it’d be ready around noon. If everything gets set up before then, they’ll give us a call,” he said.

Terra nodded as he started eating his food. “Okay,” he said looking at his watch to check the time. “That gives me enough time to eat, take a shower, and get gas.”

“I’ll give you some cash for gas, since you guys are helping me and all. And I’ll treat you both to dinner, it’s really the least I can do,” Roxas said, standing up from his seat to clean off his plate. As he was rinsing off his bowl, he heard his phone go off on the table.

He dried his hands and went to check the message, hoping it was Aqua with news about the apartment he applied for. Instead, his heart dropped into his stomach, which churned with a weird sense of delight upon seeing Axel’s name flash across the screen with a message that read ‘sorry’. Roxas never deleted Axel’s number, just on the off chance he decided to ever reach out. Deleting his number also made everything feel so final-- and it was clear that Axel might have felt the same way. Eyebrows furrowed, he quickly sent a text back asking what he was sorry for.

“Everything okay?” Ventus asked, looking up at his brother.

Roxas pocketed his phone and nodded. “Yeah, I’m gonna go shower before Terra does because he will use up all the warm water.” He grabbed his laptop and stuck his tongue out at his brother-in-law before leaving the kitchen.

He didn’t take a long time in the shower, just quickly washing his hair and body before rinsing off and stepping out when he was finished. He dried off and slipped his clothes on, settling on a plain black tee shirt and blue basketball shorts for ultimate comfort while they moved his stuff.

Heading down the stairs, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he grabbed it out to see Aqua’s name flash across the screen.

“Hello?” he answered, descending the remaining way down the stairs.

“Hey Roxas! It’s Aqua from the apartment duplex? I was just calling to let you know you’ve passed the credit check. You’re the new tenant for apartment number 813!” she explained, her voice lilting through the speaker.

A wave of different emotions rushed over Roxas and he gripped his phone as he tried to contain his excitement. “Are you serious? This is amazing. How soon can I move in?” he asked.

Laughter filtered through the speaker again followed by Aqua’s voice, “Whenever you’re ready to move in! Your score is damn near perfect, so I’ll waive the holding fee. Just let me know what date you’ll be moving in so I can put it in my paperwork. How soon are you thinking?” she asked.

Roxas looked over at Ven and Terra who were watching him expectantly and he turned away. “Well I’m moving stuff into my office today, but I could stop by afterwards and sign the lease? I need to get to my storage locker… hmmm… how does two weeks sound? That’d give me enough time to get everything I need packed and ready, sorry, I’m rambling. Is two weeks good?” he repeated his question to get back on track.

Another flit of giggles from Aqua filtered through the phone, “You’re precious Roxas, two weeks sounds good. Stop by after you’re done to sign the lease. I’ll see you then?” she asked.

Roxas agreed and said his good-byes before looking over at Terra and Ventus who were waiting for him to spill what was going on. He grinned wide. “I got the apartment! Aqua says I can move in as soon as possible. Do you guys mind if we stop by after we’re done at the office so I can sign the lease?” he asked.

Ventus moved from the table and wrapped his arms around his brother, “I can’t believe it! You’ve been here for what a week and you’re already moving out? I can’t believe it. I’m so excited for you,” he said, ruffling his twin’s hair.

Roxas laughed as he swatted at his brother’s hand and looked at Terra who came to join their hug, “Yeah, I guess we can go,” he said.

They separated after a few more moments, and Terra and Ven went to get ready. Roxas called Xion to tell her the news and sent a message to Demyx letting him know he’d have Turkey for two more weeks, but no longer.

When Terra and Ven were ready, they climbed into Terra’s truck and headed to the furniture store. They loaded Roxas’ purchases into the truck bed before heading to Roxas’ new office building.

The office was in a tall building squeezed between the ice cream shop and the newly opened bistro. The owner of the building had given him a spare key for the main door since he’d be the first person to show each morning. Taking it out, he unlocked the door, disabled the alarm system and headed down the hallway, turning right at the corner towards his door.

In gold lettering read Roxas C. Strife, Certified Therapist, and seeing it for the first time since he had signed the paperwork made his eyes tear up a bit. He wiped his eyes as Ventus patted his shoulder. Turning to face his brother, Roxas grinned before heading inside.

The room was barren inside, minus a filing cabinet and what looked to be a succulent and a ‘Welcome!’ card from the receptionist up front. He turned to Terra and Ventus and held his arms out. “Well, let’s get to work,” he said.

They headed out to the truck and started unloading the furniture which came pre-assembled by the furniture store. Terra and Ventus moved the furniture into place as Roxas directed them, and once the desk was settled into the corner, he got to work setting up his computer. 

“Where do you want this?” Terra asked as they came in with the second oversized chair. Roxas pointed to the wall that was adjacent to the door .

“The other couch needs to go across from it, please,” Roxas said as he set a plant in the corner before folding a blanket to hang over the back of the couch. After a few more trips, Terra and Ventus returned with his remaining things and they helped Roxas move everything into place.

Once he was completely satisfied with the layout of his office, chairs facing each other, plants placed in ideal lighting, he turned to his brother and brother in law. “What do you guys think?” he asked.

“Looks good,” Terra said. 

Ventus agreed, nodding his head and clapping his hands together. “This is so exciting, Rox! Everything’s really coming together,” he said.

Roxas grinned, turning off his computer and making sure he had everything he needed before following Terra and Ven out of the office. He locked his office behind him, pocketing the keys. He’d be back later for the wifi installation, but for now, his office was perfect.

Next, they headed to the apartment duplex, where Roxas signed the lease and paid for the first month’s rent despite Aqua’s protest that he could pay for it on his first day of moving in. He figured it’d be easier for both of them to just pay it now, because in a few weeks he’d be busy with work, moving, and getting situated.

After signing the lease, he talked with Aqua a bit more about when he’d move in and when she would be able to meet Turkey. He promised her that as soon as he was settled in and Turkey was with him, she and Cindy were more than welcome to come over and meet his cat. 

They headed to the pizzeria for lunch then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing. Roxas called Demyx and Ienzo to tell them that he would be moving soon and they told him they were excited to see his new place. That night when he went to bed, he felt like things were finally starting to fall into place. 

The next two weeks had passed quickly and Roxas kept as busy as he could as his move-in date grew closer. He had taken on a few new patients and was looking forward to his first sessions in his new office.

He hadn’t spoken to Axel since the party, and he honestly wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. His text asking what Axel was sorry for continued to go unanswered, and Roxas finally added it to the long list of answers he was never going to receive. Therefore it came as something of a surprise when Axel contacted him through mail sending him a funeral announcement. As he read over the card for details about when it was going to take place, he realized that it might’ve been Kairi who sent it. Still, why else would Axel say sorry, if not for this? 

Roxas sent a text to Axel to say of course he’d be there and penciled the date and time on his calendar. The funeral itself was a quiet and small affair. Most of Roxas’ friends had shown up to show support to Kairi, much like they had for him when his father had passed. She gave a small speech in which she tried to highlight the positive parts of their father, how he ga. He gave Kairi his condolences and requested that she pass them to Axel and Reno.

“You can pass them onto Axel, but you can give me your condolences yourself Roxas,” someone behind him said. Roxas turned around to find himself face to face with Reno himself, Axel’s older brother. He was a few inches taller than Axel, with red lined tattoos that accented his high cheekbones. Reno’s hair was lighter than Axel and Kairi’s, which Axel had once told Roxas was due to their mother’s complexion.

_Roxas stood anxiously in front of the modern home. The grass had grown yellow due to the lack of water and the heat that seemed to rise with each passing day. Summer vacation had just started and Roxas had plans to go to the local water park with his best friend._

_As he started to text Axel to see if he was awake, the front door opened. He looked up and saw Reno, three years older than Axel and freshly graduated from high school._

_He looked at Roxas and raised an amused eyebrow. “You here for Axel?” he asked him, leaning against the door._

_“Yup, we’re going to the water park. Figured it’d be a good way to start Summer vacation,” Roxas said awkwardly. He hadn’t ever interacted with Reno before and he felt more intimidated with every passing moment._

_Reno studied him for a moment. “Are you the reason Axel’s actually doing well in school?” he asked._

_Roxas shrugged shyly. “We study a lot together? And my dad helps him with his math.” he explained._

_Before Reno could say anything, Axel came barreling down the stairs and out the front door._

_“Hey Roxas! Go away, Reno,” Axel said, pushing his way past Reno. He was wearing a pair of black swim trunks and a regular tee. He rested his elbow on Roxas’ shoulder and glared at his brother._

_Reno just laughed. “Be home before Dad is,” was all he said before heading back into the house._

Roxas rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Reno’s waist in a quick hug. He stepped away only to have Reno’s hands drag down his arms and capturing his hands. Reno ran his thumbs running over Roxas’ knuckles, surprisingly intimate.

“I’m surprised you made it,” Roxas said, trying not to read too much into the gesture. “I figured you’d be in the same boat as Axel and not want to show.” he said.

Reno shrugged. “I wanted to be here for my siblings. I’m honestly surprised Axel’s not here celebrating. I figured he’d be the first one to dance on Dad’s grave.” 

“Yeah, I remember they, uh, didn’t get along very well. So Axel’s going to sell the house? I’m surprised that he and Isa aren’t planning to move in there and start their own family,” Roxas said, trying to watch his tone. He didn’t want to come off as bitter.

Reno shrugged again. “I’m not entirely sure what he’s planning on doing with the house. Kairi and I have to sign some paperwork because Dad put us all down as beneficiaries. I didn’t even know he was married until we went out to dinner the first night I was here. Speaking of, we should get out of here, go to a bar or get some food. C’mon, my treat,” he said wrapping an arm around Roxas’ shoulder and leading him towards the parking lot.

“Oh. I figured he would’ve at least kept you and Kairi in the loop,” Roxas said, feeling kind of awkward with Reno holding him so close to his side. He remembered the older male was very flirtatious, but he also remembered Axel had mentioned that Reno was married.

Suddenly feeling super uncomfortable, Roxas gently shrugged away from Reno and gave him an apologetic look. “Sorry, it’s just, Axel mentioned you got married?” he asked.

Reno’s eyes widened at Roxas’ question before shaking his head and laughing. “That fucking bastard.” He pinched the bridge of his nose and letting out a frustrated sigh, “Yeah, I am married, but my husband and I are in an ‘open marriage’,” he said with a shrug.

Roxas licked his lips and nodded slowly. “Okay, so, like, polyamourus?” he asked.

“More like I’m a swinger,” Reno clarified. “Kadaj knows and supports it. He travels a lot.”

Roxas raised an eyebrow at his acquaintance with an amused, questioning smirk before turning to his car. 

“So where are you taking me for drinks?” he asked.

—

A few hours later, Roxas made his way home after drinks with Reno, his face flushed pink from the alcohol and flirty banter with the tall redhead. “You know the offer is still on the table, we could go back to my place… Kadaj has already given me the go ahead,” he grinned. 

Roxas rolled his eyes playfully and placed his hands on Reno’s chest, pushing him away with a gentle shove. “As tempting as it is, like I said during dinner, I want to meet Kadaj first, plus I have a very busy morning and I should probably sleep this off,” he said. 

Reno pouted and Roxas relented, wrapping an arm around Reno’s neck to pull him down so he could kiss him. He pressed his body against Reno’s, then laughed as he was pushed up against the side of the house. He giggled as Reno’s hands slipped under his shirt and licked into Reno’s mouth, tasting the mint julep on his tongue. After a few more kisses, he pushed Reno away with a grin. 

“You’re a tease,” Reno jutted his bottom lip out in another pout, which just made Roxas laugh again.

“I know, I’ll talk to you later Reno,” he said before heading inside. He found Ven and Terra curled up on the couch watching some cheesy rom com. 

“Hey guys,” he said. 

“Oh hey Roxas, how was the funeral and the reception?” Ven asked, pausing the movie so his attention was on Roxas.

Roxas shrugged. “Funeral was nice, didn’t go to the reception, ” he said.

“Where have you been then?” Terra asked as Roxas moved towards the opposite couch and laid down on it.

“I went to dinner and drinks with a friend,” Roxas said, eyes closed. He missed the shared look between Terra and Ventus.

“Oh? Would this friend be a certain red-head we all know and know you love?” Ventus teased.

Roxas looked up at his brother and brother in law with a grin, his eyes glazed over from drinking. “Yes and no.”

“Axel?”

Snorting, Roxas sat up and stretched before answering. 

“Reno,” he said, getting up and checking the time. He had an early morning appointment with a patient and had planned to spend the afternoon moving things into the apartment. The furniture delivery was set for early afternoon, so he’d have a long night ahead of him, getting everything in place. He turned to wave goodnight to Ven and Terra, preparing to head up to bed.

“Wait, what?!” Ventus asked as Roxas had made it to the stairs. He turned to his brother and leaned against the railing. 

“He asked me to dinner. I agreed.” He shrugged, not sure why his brother sounded so upset.

Ventus stared at Roxas. “Isn’t he married?” he asked.

“Yup, he’s a swinger? I guess? I don’t know the exact specifics but he said it’s something he and his husband do to keep the romance alive.” He held up a hand to stop Ven from further complaint. “It was just dinner and drinks, relax. He lives out of state and honestly, it’d be nice to have some fun with someone again. Even if it’s not serious or going anywhere. I haven’t had something like that since Raito.” 

He pushed off the railing and started up the stairs again. “I have to go to bed, I have an appointment tomorrow with a patient and then I’m gonna get stuff moved over to my apartment.” 

He turned away quickly so neither Ventus or Terra could ask him any more questions. He took a quick shower and brushed his teeth before heading into his room, curling up into his bed and falling fast asleep.

The next morning, Roxas got his early start, grabbing breakfast on the way to the office and preparing for his appointment.

When his patient arrived, he greeted her with a friendly smile and offered for her to take a seat while she filled out the preliminary questionnaire

Once her paperwork was filled out, Roxas asked her a few questions regarding what she wanted out of therapy and they talked a bit about things that were bothering her. 

He outlined a few things they could try during their sessions together, and closed the session with the promise to come up with a gameplan they could discuss together in their next session.

She thanked him before heading out of his office. Roxas sighed and leaned back in his chair before looking at his computer to check in on his packages. It looked like they would be delivered to Ven and Terra’s home later that day.

Roxas stayed behind for a few hours filing stuff away and filling out paperwork for patient transfers and new patients. He got a text from Hayner asking about the class reunion and whether or not they should throw an after party for old time’s sake. 

Roxas: oh man, that’d be fun. Think your parents old farm with the bonfire pit is still around

Hayner: It is actually, I’ve been keeping it a secret, but dad signed the paperwork over to me last year. Been renovating and living in it. I think an after party may be the best house warming?

Roxas: Fuck yeah. Do you mind if I bring my date?

Hayner: …. Is it Axel? 

Roxas: [eye rolling emoji] he’s married.

Hayner: And you’re still in love with him. It was obvious at the party

Roxas stared at the message for a moment, his face heating up at the observation. Was it that obvious that the feelings he harbored for his ex-boyfriend were still prevalent after all these years apart? He quickly typed out his message to Hayner before turning off his computer and headed home. 

Roxas: Whatever, it’s not Axel.

\-----

Roxas sighed as he fell back against his couch in his new apartment. He had spent most of the afternoon moving into his new apartment, of course with the help of Prompto, Ven, Terra, and Gladio, who was according to Prompto his third and final partner. 

He really liked Gladio. He was tall, very muscular, and had a very serious demeanor, but the moment someone cracked a joke, he had an infectious laugh and a few jokes of his own to tell. He poked fun at Prompto, and there were a few times he and Prompto were caught kissing instead of working, in which situation Gladio was quick to throw Prompto under the bus. 

“He’s just so distracting!” Gladio said as they sat around eating pizza during one of their breaks. That got a laugh from everyone. 

Sometime during their third drive to Ven and Terra’s house, Roxas texted Reno to let him know he would be moved into his new place if he wanted to stop by before he had to leave. Reno was quick to reply telling him he’d be there, just to let him know when everyone had left. It was after a lengthy phone call with Xion and a very stern yet playful ‘just sleep with him,’ later, Roxas decided that his best friend was right. There was no reason to not sleep with Reno; feelings for Axel or not, he wanted to get laid and have some fun.

“We should head out, I have an early shift in the morning,” Terra said as he stood up from the couch to place his paper plate and beer bottle in the kitchen. Prompto and Gladio had already left an hour earlier as they needed to leave early in the morning for a gallery show in Altissia.

Ventus stood in the middle of the living room and looked at Roxas with a sad expression on his face. He walked up to Roxas and wrapped his arms around his shoulder in a tight shoulder, “I’m so proud of you and I can’t wait to see how the apartment looks once it’s all set up.” he said, holding his brother for a few moments. 

Roxas relaxed into the hug and returned it before pulling away and patting his brother’s arm gently. “Thanks Ven and I will, I’m hoping to have everything done this weekend.” he promised. 

Ventus just nodded with a big smile before hugging Roxas once more and heading out of his living room and out to Terra’s car. 

Standing in the middle of his Roxas grabbed the boxes of pizza and moved what was left into one box. He placed the leftover pizza box into his fridge and made room for the beers Terra had brought.

As Roxas grabbed the empty boxes, there was a knock at his door. Assuming it was Aqua, he took a moment to make sure he had picked up all the garbage before answering the door. 

But it wasn’t Aqua standing on the other side. Reno grinned at Roxas with a 6 pack of his favorite ciders and a pack of chocolate cupcakes.

“Hey Reno, come on in. Make yourself at home, I just need to take out the trash real quick.” He headed to the garbage and tossed the boxes before heading back inside. 

Reno stood in the middle of the room, looking around the bare room before turning to Roxas. “Nice place,” he said with a grin.

Rolling his eyes, Roxas grabbed the ciders off the table and placed them in the fridge, grabbing two out before heading back to the living room.

“Yeah, it’s nice to finally have my own place again. No more memories plaguing my sleep at night. Plus no more having to listen to Terra and Ventus on the weekends.” He made a face before taking a sip.

Reno laughed as he opened his cider and took a quick gulp. “I kind of like this empty room aesthetic, less furniture makes it easier for noise to travel.” He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows.

“Pervert. That’s implying I’m not spending all day tomorrow unpacking what I can.” Roxas said sipping his cider. “I haven’t unpacked any curtains or textiles yet, which will help cut down on the echos.”

“Then I guess I should take advantage of your empty apartment while I have the chance.” Reno set his cider down and hooked his fingers into the belt loop of Roxas’ jeans to pull him close. Roxas raised his eyebrows as he smirked against the lip of the bottle, letting Reno reel him in. When Reno had their hips flush together he wrapped one arm around Reno’s neck lazily. 

Wet kisses pressed against Roxas’ neck and the feel of teeth dragging against his skin made him gasp. He leaned away to set his bottle down so it didn’t spill on the carpet, and as soon as it hit the table his hand went to Reno’s hair, entangling in the red locks. 

Reno kissed up to his mouth, hands moving under Roxas’ shirt to the small of his back, staying there only a moment before slipping down and grabbing Roxas’ butt and trailing down to his thighs.

Needing no further encouragement, Roxas hopped and hooked his ankles behind Reno’s back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders as they kissed. Reno supported his weight easily, a thigh in each hand. “Bedroom?” Reno asked as he nipped at Roxas’ bottom lip.

“Straight down the hall, it’s the only open door in the hall,” Roxas said before connecting their lips again.

Reno moved at an impressive speed down the short hallway. They entered the room and Reno slowly dropped Roxas onto his bed. Roxas was thankful that it was the first thing they’d set up. He scooted back as Reno crawled onto the bed after him, coming back for another kiss.

Lips were locked as clothes were shed, and soon Roxas’ legs were spread to either side of Reno’s thighs as Reno rolled on a condom and lathering his cock with lube. He positioned himself at Roxas’ entrance before grabbing his thighs and pulling him closer before pushing inside.

Roxas breathed through his nose and closed his eyes, trying to get used to the feeling. Once he’d willed himself to relax, he gave Reno the okay to move.

His partner started out with slow thrusts, running his hands up and down Roxas' sides in the hopes to further relax him. “Oh fuck, you feel so good,” Reno panted and Roxas had to take a moment to grab his bearings because he swore Reno sounded just like Axel. He mentally shook his head and as he was pulled into Reno’s lap. 

Roxas moaned as pleasure rushed across his body, moving up his arms and his chest before rolling down to his pelvis. He tried to keep his mind from running wild, as it flashed a thought of how much Reno and Axel sounded alike. 

He gripped the sheets, then reached up to wrap an arm around Reno’s neck and pulled him down to connect their mouths in a sloppy kiss. He groaned into the kiss as Reno’s hips jutted into his prostate, making white spots show up in his vision. He cried out in pleasure. 

“O-oh fuck,” Roxas arched his back off the bed, his hands dragging down Reno’s back. 

Reno sat up and pulled Roxas onto his lap, slowing down the movement of his hips so they were harder thrusts into Roxas. He reached between their bodies and gripped Roxas’ cock, pumping him steadily, watching as Roxas came undone. He leaned down and kissed Roxas as he teased the head and crown with his thumb. 

Roxas keened as he thrust into Reno’s hand, the movement making him fuck himself on Reno’s cock. oon he was gasping and panting as he came. He rode out his orgasm with Reno stroking his cock until he went boneless against the bed. 

“You’re so cute all fucked out like this Rox,” Reno said, lowering Roxas to the bed. He brought his hand to his mouth and sucked his fingers clean. Roxas watched him through half-lidded eyes, little whines and moans as he arched and shifted on the bed. He gasped as Reno leaned over him and connected their lips, snaking his tongue into his mouth. 

Then Reno broke the kiss and Roxas gasped, feeling Reno’s mouth trail down his neck, biting down on his shoulder. “O-Oh fuck, a-ah,” he cried as Reno’s hips started to jut against him again. 

“Oh God, fuck Rox.” Reno’s movement grew sloppy before finally stilling as he came. He rode out his orgasm before pulling out and collapsing next to Roxas. 

Roxas covered his face with hands and started to laugh before dragging his hands down his face. He sat up and shook his head when Reno asked him what was so funny. 

“I’m good, that was good, better than good.” He sat up so he could clean up while Reno removed the condom and tossed it into the trash. 

“How long are you in town for?” Roxas asked after a few moments, looking over at the red head who was digging into his pants for a cigarette. Reno looked over at Roxas, raising an eyebrow as he stepped out on the patio to smoke. 

“I leave next Friday. Why?” he asked. 

Roxas chewed on his bottom lip as he grabbed his own boxers as he headed into the bathroom to get changed. “I have a high school reunion to attend and kind of don’t want to be the only without a pseudo date.” he explained. 

Reno took a drag of his cigarette and shrugged. “Sure I can go with ya. Especially if it means we get to sleep together between now and then.” He grinned. 

Rolling his eyes, Roxas stepped out on the patio and took the cigarette from Reno. He took a drag before pulling Reno down for a kiss. “I think that’s a fair exchange.” He grinned.

It didn’t take long after his smoke break for Reno to pin Roxas against the outside wall of his apartment, hand in between their bodies and moving his hand along his cock. Roxas gripped the back of Reno’s neck and his shoulder, moaning against his mouth as Reno started to carry him back into the bedroom. They went for a few more rounds and each noise that Reno made, Roxas’ mind shot to Axel. 

“I have to go, have an early morning. I have a work meeting I have to attend and I can’t be late. But I’ll text you? Maybe we can get lunch?” Reno asked as he got dressed. 

Roxas watched him from the bed, laying on his stomach and chin propped on his hand. “Hm, yeah. I’ll send you the details of the class reunion too. I just have to find the invite. It’s this Wednesday, I believe,” he said. 

Reno slipped on his shoes and ran a hand through his hair.  
“Cool, I’ll talk to you later.” Reno grinned, leaning down to kiss Roxas before leaving the apartment. 

Roxas sighed, falling back and staring at the ceiling. When did this become his life? He got up and got changed before crawling into bed, allowing his muscles and mind to relax. He quickly fell into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spicy.... I wonder what kind of drama this is going to cause. 
> 
> Happy Akuroku Day Everyone!!! :D Make sure to check out the Akuroku Week 2020 collection for some amazing fics and on twitter for amazing art!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated. (also let me know if I ever miss an 'Emyd' I decided to change it back to Demyx and I'm always worried I miss an 'Emyd' when I go to update.
> 
> See ya next week!


	6. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **READ BEFORE CONTINUING**  
> this chapter is a little heavy, as it does vaguely discuss hospitals, chemotherapy, etc. It's not in a lot of detail, but I do feel like it's enough to warrant a warning before you dive into the chapter. While the actual treatment is not described in detail, the word chemo does come up a few times. So please be aware of that going into this chapter.
> 
> It's closer to the end when Roxas is reading the letters. 
> 
> Thanks guys

“So, what you’re telling me is, you slept with your ex-boyfriend’s older brother to try and alleviate the feelings you have for your ex-boyfriend. And while in the middle of one of your many rendezvous with said brother, you accidently said your ex’s name?” Ienzo looked at Roxas over his cup of tea and shook his head when Roxas gave him a confirming ‘yup.’

Demyx chuckled from his place on the floor where he was playing with Turkey who had rolled over to show off his belly before chasing after the ball that Demyx tossed across the floor. 

“Honestly, I think it’s great he’s finally moving on from what’s his name… Raito? That guy was a complete douche and yeah I know he looks like your ex and that was _probably_ the reason you were dating him, but you broke it off with him what… two years ago? It’s nice to see you get out there. Even if it is just sleeping around," he shrugged. 

Ienzo rolled his eyes at his husband as Demyx took the ball from Turkey and rolled it down the hall. Demyx laughed as the sphinx cat burned rubber on the hardwood floors before gaining enough traction to go after his toy. He turned his attention back to Roxas and gave his friend a small smile. 

“Are you going to be okay when Reno goes back to his husband?” he asked. 

Roxas was leaning against the back of the couch, his arm propping his head up on his hand and nodded. “Yeah, this is very much a fling. I’ve known Reno for a long time and while he was definitely my big gay awakening before I realized how deeply in love I was with my best friend, he’s not really relationship material in my eyes. Plus he lives out of town, is married, and I just got settled here. I’d hate to move practice once I’ve gotten settled," he explained. 

Ienzo smiled and patted Roxas’ arm. “I’m glad to hear it," he said. 

Roxas returned the smile before turning his attention to Demyx. He watched as Demyx kneeled at the entrance of the hall and poked his head around the corner, then quickly leaned back to play a game of hide and seek. 

“By the way, I seriously appreciate you guys watching Turkey for me these past few weeks, it’s been a huge relief off my shoulders. What do I owe you guys?” Roxas asked. 

Ienzo rolled his eyes and waved Roxas off. “You don’t owe us anything, except maybe the name of the breeder you got him from. Demyx won’t leave me alone until he gets one of his own," he said. 

Roxas laughed and shook his head. “I’ll make sure to get it to you guys. How long are you guys going to be in town?” he asked. 

“We’re heading home tonight, Demyx has work on Monday and I’m going on a work trip on Tuesday to Altissia,” Ienzo said, giving Roxas a sad look. 

“Damn, I was hoping you guys would be here all week. We’re having a bonfire after the high school reunion. Wanted to introduce you guys to everyone.” Roxas pouted before taking a sip of his tea. 

“We still have plans to be here for your birthday! It’s kind of why we’re so busy right now, we’re planning on taking time off in June since school's out,” Demyx said.

Roxas nodded, chewing on the inside of his cheek. He hadn’t considered what he and Ventus were going to do for his birthday. He had been too busy unpacking to really think about it. Besides, it was two months away, they had plenty of time to plan.

“Speaking of, we should probably head out. We have a long drive ahead of us and if Demyx doesn’t get enough sleep, he’s gonna be a nightmare,” Ienzo said fondly. 

Demyx stuck his tongue out at Ienzo, then laughed before picking up Turkey. He gave him a kiss and rubbed his chin on the cat’s head. “I’m gonna miss ya buddy," he said. He gave him one final kiss on the head again before setting him down.

Roxas laughed and stood up to walk them out. “No worries, I will send you guys lots of pictures and videos of Turkey. Plus you guys are always welcome to visit. Hopefully next time my guest room will be ready," he said, hugging Ienzo before moving to hug Demyx.

They said their goodbyes and headed out, leaving Roxas alone in his apartment. He picked up Turkey and gave him a few kisses, before allowing his cat to perch on his shoulders. 

Looking at the mountain of boxes he had yet to unpack, Roxas turned to Turkey, “Ready to help me unpack more boxes?”

—-

The week flew by as Roxas busied himself with work and unpacking everything in his apartment, making it feel more like his home. He still had to work on the guest room, but it wasn’t his number one priority at the moment. 

Reno, as promised, showed up randomly throughout the week, usually with takeout and drinks, and they spent their evenings either in bed or on the couch, eating their food and occassionally exchanging kisses that eventually led to sex. They’d clean themselves off afterwards and the cycle repeated. 

The high school reunion went as any high school reunion would go. Former friends gathered into their cliques even despite riffs and rumors that had formed over the past ten years. Roxas was quick to drag Reno to where his friends were sitting and quickly introduced Reno to the ones who didn’t know him. 

Hayner, Pence, and Olette gave Roxas a knowing look as Sora asked Reno how living in Tenebrae was, and how long he was going to be in town. 

While Reno chatted with Sora, Roxas caught up with former classmates he hadn’t seen since high school. They asked him about his career and gave their condolences about his dad, even though it was over five years now. Some were curious as to why he was here with Reno instead of Axel.

His answers were all the same: “I’m a therapist now; thank you, I miss him very much; Axel and I ended things back in college, the distance was just too much; Reno’s here with me as a friend.” Each answer was always met with a sad expression or smile. 

It was about two hours into the reunion when Hayner told everyone to meet him at his place for the after party, the old farmhouse. He headed out with a wave and soon everyone else followed suit, saying good-bye to friends they hadn’t seen since graduation night and made empty promises to keep in touch. 

Roxas called a cab and gave the driver the directions to the farmhouse and arrived shortly after everyone else. They headed inside where Roxas’ friends were already hanging out. 

Xion, Kairi and Olette were all sitting in the living room with a few other people Roxas recognized and when Xion made eye contact with him, she waved him down, “Roxas, come sit with us!” she called. 

Roxas grabbed Reno’s hand and dragged him along to the couch. He took a seat and grinned at Xion, who handed him a beer. 

“Who are you?” Xion asked, looking over at Reno. 

Biting his lip, Roxas looked between Reno and Xion. He’d forgotten that Xion had come to Twilight Town the year Reno had stopped coming home for college, so she never had the chance to meet Reno. 

“Xion, this is Reno, my date...and Axel and Kairi’s older brother.” Roxas introduced them as Reno took Xion’s hand. He shook it a couple times before returning to his conversation with Hayner and Pence. 

Xion looked at Roxas with big blue eyes and Roxas fought the urge to roll his eyes at her. He didn’t have to explain why his ex-boyfriend’s older brother was there, and he certainly wasn’t going to be judged by his best friend for it. 

When Reno stood up and went to grab them some drinks, Roxas could feel Xion’s persistent stare. Giving in, he turned to look at her. 

“What?” he asked. 

Xion said nothing and shrugged. “It’s just interesting, that’s all. It’s very clear you have a type; men who look exactly like your ex. Didn’t you tell me he was _married_?” she asked with a mischievous grin. 

Roxas pushed her shoulder and rolled his eyes at her. “He’s in an open relationship. Like, they’re married, but his husband travels a lot, so they have this agreement, I guess. And I’m not sleeping with him because I wanna get revenge," he huffed. 

Xion laughed and clapped his shoulder, dropping the subject as Reno approached them with beers in his hand. 

The party wasn’t an overly big affair. Hayner started playing music and moved the coffee table so it was out of the way so guests could dance and mingle. Roxas spent most of his time either with Xion or Reno, sometimes going outside with Hayner and Pence as they went outside to smoke. He and Reno snuck off a few times to make out, and each time it reminded him of when he and Axel used to do the same thing when they were in high school. 

When the party came to an end, Kairi offered to take them home, dropping Roxas off at his apartment and then taking Reno presumably back to their father’s house. 

Roxas kicked his shoes off and went straight to bed. 

\----

A few days had passed and Roxas was growing a bit restless now that Reno had left to go back to Tenebrae. That morning he had taken Reno to the airport and while they didn’t have a relationship per se, he did miss the company. Xion had left the day after the reunion, needing to attend to some last minute issues before the big book signing being held at her bakery. Hayner and the others were busy with work and although they had promised to stop by to meet Turkey and see his new place, the time that would happen was taking too long to arrive. 

So he busied himself with making one of Axel’s favorite dishes, Thai Chicken Curry and strawberry cupcakes. Once everything was cooked, cooled and the cupcakes frosted, Roxas grabbed a bottle of wine he had gotten from the store and decided to head over and visit his ex and his husband. 

He fondly remembered his own friends and some neighbors and family friends stopping by his mom’s place with dishes that could easily be microwaved and decided to do the same for his ex. This was him trying to accept his feelings for Axel and the dooming fact they weren’t together anymore. 

Saying good-bye to Turkey and heading out to his car, Roxas packed the goods into the back seat and made sure they were secure before hopping into the front seat and heading off to the Sinclaire residence. 

\---

Isa stood in the kitchen of Axel’s childhood home, watching as Axel washed their dishes from lunch. He looked over at Kairi, who had finally emerged from her room. “Good morning sleepyhead. Chicken salad is in the fridge," he said. Kairi grabbed her purse and started looking for something. 

“How are you feeling Kai?” Axel asked as he dried off his hands and tossed the towel onto the counter. 

“Hungover, I didn’t realize how much I had drank last night. I forgot how much alcohol you could handle Ax,” Kairi answered, pulling out a bottle of aspirin and her water bottle. She popped a couple of pills into her mouth and chased them with water. She studied her water bottle for a moment before taking another small sip and setting it down. She turned to her brother and Isa, studying them for a moment before speaking. 

“”You two… you two are happy right? Like, there’s no issues, everythings are going okay?” she asked. 

Axel looked up from where he was putting away dried dishes. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?” he asked. 

“I know you and Reno don’t always see eye to eye and he left a few days ago didn’t he?” Kairi fiddled with the cap of her water bottle, avoiding looking up at her brother. 

Axel’s eyebrows furrowed, “Yeah…?” his question trailed off. 

Kairi leaned back against the couch and hugged a pillow to her chest, fidgeting with a loose thread that stuck out on the corner. She didn’t know how to tell Axel what she saw at the farmhouse party. Sighing, she looked up at her brother. “He was at the reunion after party last week,,” she paused, watching as Axel’s expression changed into confusion, before continuing, “with Roxas. And they were close, like, really close. I’m pretty sure Olette said she saw them making out in the kitchen.” 

Axel dropped the plate he was holding and it shattered against the tile in the kitchen. Isa cursed and quickly pulled Axel away from the glass before going to grab the broom to clean it up. 

Axel didn’t even notice. He just continued to stare at Kairi as Isa touched his shoulder, but he didn’t move. His face was white with shock and it wasn’t until the doorbell rang, did he pull himself out of his thoughts. 

“I should answer that,” Axel said softly as he continued to stand in the middle of the dining room before finally moving when another ring echoed through the house. He opened the door and his eyes landed on Roxas who had his hands full. Roxas beamed up at him.

“Hey Axel!” Roxas said cheerfully, holding up the food in his hands. “I hope you don’t mind, but I made some Thai Chicken Curry and strawberry cupcakes. I know when Dad died, people made a lot of food for my family so we didn’t have to deal with figuring out what to eat, and I thought about doing the same," he explained. 

Axel didn’t say anything, just stared at Roxas. Shifting on his feet, Roxas jostled the food and gave Axel another beaming smile. He eventually thanked Roxas and took the food before moving out of the way to allow his ex into the house. 

Roxas stood awkwardly in the living room and waved to Isa who greeted him with a warm ‘Hey Roxas’ and received a hug from Kairi. She held onto him for a moment before giving him a tight lipped smile and squeezed his biceps gently. She pulled away and grabbed her purse. “I need to get ready, I promised Olette we’d get lunch before my flight tonight.” she scampered off down the hall to her old room. 

As the door closed down the hall Axel turned to Roxas, hands clenched at his side, “Are you sleeping with Reno?” he asked. He looked at Roxas with an angry expression, mixed with sadness. His eyebrows were furrowed as he continued to stare daggers at his ex, waiting for his answer. 

“What?”

“Are you sleeping with my brother?”

“Axel…” Roxas trailed off taking a step back from his ex. 

“Don’t ‘Axel’ me, just answer the damn question,” Axel snapped. 

Roxas looked shocked before he moved so he was standing with his legs separated, his hands clenched at his side and lifted his chin. He stared Axel in the eye, “Yeah, I was.”

Axel stood still, his mouth formed into sneer, eyebrows furrowed and eyes glaring at Roxas.“Why? Why of _all people _did you have to go for my fucking brother? Trying to prove a point? To get back at me? Why Reno?” he asked, his voice rising with each word.__

__Isa quickly went to Axel’s side and grabbed onto his shoulders to hold him back. “Axel, stop while you’re ahead,” he said softly._ _

__Axel shook off Isa’s shoulders, “Fuck off Isa,” he spat, glancing over his shoulder at his husband before turning back to Roxas._ _

__“I just, I don’t understand. Why Reno? You never showed any interest in him before. He’s married for Gods’ sake!” he exclaimed._ _

__“He’s also _polyamourous._ Ya know like Prom is? Maybe if you stopped blaming Reno for something that was beyond his control and talked to him once in a while, you’d know this.” Roxas seethed. _ _

__Axel stared at Roxas dumbfounded for a second before shaking his head and regaining his composure, “This isn’t about my lack of communication with Reno, this is about you sleeping with my brother. Was this some sort of weird high school fantasy that you decided to finally play out? Wanted a complete set and you’re going to go after Kairi next?” he asked._ _

__“Axel that’s not fair.” Isa interjected but Axel just ignored him, stepping into Roxas’ space._ _

__“Ya know I expected Reno to continue sleeping around and acting like a slut, but I expected more from you.”_ _

__Roxas stood in a similar position as Axel, hands clenched at his side. His bottom lip trembled as he started to speak, “You have no _right_ Axel. You have no right, to slut shame me when you ghosted me and then married your college roommate a few months later. You left when _I needed you_. My father died and you fucking left me. I’m a fucking adult and if I want to sleep with Reno I more than allowed to. You have no right," he seethed, tears forming in his eyes._ _

__He didn’t have to stay here and deal with this. He turned on his heel and headed out the door. Turkey was waiting for him at home, and the farther away he could be from Axel, the better._ _

__As he headed out to his car, he heard the front door open and he turned quickly to tell Axel to go away but quickly turned back when he saw it was Kairi._ _

__“Roxas! I’m so sorry! I-I didn’t think he’d react this way, I-I” she said as he struggled to grab the right key to unlock his car. He dropped them and cursed under his breath resting his forehead on the window before bending over and grabbing his dropped keys._ _

__He stared at his reflection in the window only to notice how puffy his eyes were from unshed tears. His cheeks were flushed pink and how pale the pink made him look, “It’s okay Kairi, I promise, I just need space.”_ _

__“Roxas!” Isa called behind him._ _

__Roxas stilled before turning to face Isa, “Sorry about that. Your impression of me must not be that great," he rubbed at the back of his neck._ _

__Isa smiled, holding out a small memoir box towards Roxas. “My impression of you is that you’re still deeply hurt by the seemingly selfish actions of your ex. Here, this will explain a few things. Read them and then call Axel. I know you’re mad right now, but I hope what’s in that box will clear some things up for you.” He held out the box again._ _

__Roxas eyed the box for a moment before taking it. “Thanks. Again, I am really sorry about what happened. I didn’t think it’d be such a big deal. I mean, I wasn’t really planning on telling him, but I guess, news travels fast huh? Don’t worry about the dishes. Axel can keep them," he said before turning back to his car, putting the box in the back seat before getting into the driver's seat and driving off._ _

__When Roxas arrived home, he set the box down on the dining room table. He took a seat on the couch and Turkey instantly jumped into his lap before crawling onto his chest. Absentmindedly petting Turkey’s head, he continued to stare intently at the box._ _

__Supposedly, the answer behind why Axel had ghosted him was stored away in the small box. But at the end of the day, did the truth really matter? Nothing was going to change; he still loved Axel, but Axel was a dick and his words dug deep. And he was married._ _

__Isa said the truth held the answers, but what if knowing the truth just hurt more than not knowing?_ _

__He stared at the box for a moment before sighing and getting up. He went to the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge, then headed back to his seat. If he was gonna do this, he needed some liquid courage._ _

__After taking a sip, Roxas set the bottle down and opened the box. He put the lid on the table and looked in, curiosity finally winning over spite. Inside were a handful of letters, about twelve from what Roxas could see._ _

__Accompanying the letters were some pictures Roxas recognized: a photo of him and Axel on a hike through the hidden forest that lead to the old mansion, a photo of them at a concert, and a photo of them and some of their friends at the lake._ _

__There were more items under the photos and Roxas looked through them, picking up a folded piece of paper written in Axel’s handwriting. It was a list of the things he had in the box and why he saved them._ _

___Photos from the good old days, blue marble that reminds me of Roxas eyes, Roxas loves baking and cooking and I think he’d enjoy this recipe on how to make Swedish meatballs, a mixtape of our favorite songs from high school that helped me get through chemo. Maybe one day I can take him to the Museum of Cats in Altissia, he’d have a blast there. ____ _

____Roxas stared at the list, his eyes focusing on one word; chemo._ _ _ _

____Axel had cancer?_ _ _ _

____He dropped the list and grabbed the envelopes and sifted through them. They were all blank except for a date on the front. The first one was dated about two weeks after Cloud’s funeral. He quickly opened the unsealed letter and started to read._ _ _ _

_____Dear Roxas,_ _ _ _ _

_____I am so sorry. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. I didn’t even want to write this letter as I’m too ashamed to even show my face, but Isa encouraged me to write._ _ _ _ _

_____I’ve tried to call, but everytime I do, I get cold feet because I can’t bear to hear your voice sad and angry with me._ _ _ _ _

_____The reason for this letter is to explain **why** I didn’t show up. I had every intention of being there for you. I had bought the ticket and even showed up to the airport and was ready to board the plane. I was so excited to see you again. But then I went to use the restroom before my flight and the rest is blank._ _ _ _ _

_____I’m not sure what happened, but a few days later I had woken up in the hospital. Apparently, while I was out of it, they ran all kinds of tests and the doctors didn’t like what they saw. Isa was listed as my emergency contact, so he’s been dealing with all the paperwork and bullshit. He managed to pull some strings to make sure they looked at me asap. I guess his dad’s well known amongst the medical industry. Anyway, when I woke up the doctors told me I have stage one prostate cancer. I’m actually having surgery tomorrow for my lymph nodes to make sure it hasn’t spread there._ _ _ _ _

_____I know it’s not an excuse, but I couldn’t tell you as soon as I found out. You just lost your Dad to prostate cancer, how could I call you and tell you I was in the hospital for the exact same thing? I didn’t want to worry you and I definitely didn’t want to put this burden on you. I know you would quit college to be with me and would stress over it. Isa said it’s important for me to be transparent with you, so that’s why I’m writing this letter that I may or may not send. I don’t know if it’s better or worse to get this kind of news through a letter or not, but Isa said I had to do **something.**_ _ _ _ _

_____I think you’d like Isa. He’s far too serious for his own good. But he’s funny when he wants to be. He’s been a great friend since all this started._ _ _ _ _

_____Anyway, as soon as I kick cancer’s ass, I’m coming to see you okay? I miss you._ _ _ _ _

_____Love, Axel._ _ _ _ _

____Tears rolled down Roxas face as he read over the letter two more times. He quickly wiped his eyes as he folded the last letter he read and folded it back into the envelope._ _ _ _

____Axel had cancer and was hospitalized because of it. Guilt started to settle into his chest as he remembered the last text he had received from Axel that he blatantly ignored. It had been sent a few months after his dad’s funeral and a few days after Roxas had found out about his wedding to Isa._ _ _ _

____The whole ordeal made a lot of sense to Roxas now that he had the whole picture. He was still unsure why he and Isa got married, but if they had fallen in love during his recovery-- Axel did always want to get married someday. He couldn’t blame Axel for marrying his new love when his future was so unclear._ _ _ _

____He quickly shoved the letter back into the envelope and moved on to the next one. Each letter was a month apart and explained how things were going for Axel and his chemotherapy._ _ _ _

____It was the third letter that Axel mentioned his marriage to Isa._ _ _ _

_____It was Isa’s idea! He inherited his father’s business and has fantastic insurance. He says if we get married, he could cover the chemotherapy better than the insurance my dad has. I hope you don’t mind. I’d much rather be marrying you. You’re far cuter ;)_ _ _ _ _

____Everything had started to make sense; Axel ghosting him and the marriage that happened so sporadically._ _ _ _

____Around letter seven, Axel’s handwriting changed. In letter 8, he explained that due to the chemo making him weak and sick, Isa had taken over writing for him._ _ _ _

____A lot of the letters were just updates on how he was doing physically and sometimes mentally. Isa had been taking care of him throughout the whole treatment and made sure he stayed up to date with classes and homework. Roxas could see how much Isa had done for Axel, and realized that they cared for each other very much, even if Axel did sign off with every letter saying “I love you, I miss you.” Roxas was beginning to feel like a real ass._ _ _ _

____Some of the letters were actually birthday and holiday cards that were never sent. Unsent thinking of you and graduation cards were thrown into the mix too._ _ _ _

____Sitting back Roxas wiped at his face and eyes, wishing he had a warning to grab tissues before he started reading. Relief washed over him as he stared at the unfolded piece of paper. He picked it up and read over it again, eyes scanning over paragraphs detailing a museum Axel had gone to with Isa for his birthday._ _ _ _

____Shame replaced his relief as he recounted the things that had been said when he found out about Axel’s marriage. He had said some really nasty things about Axel and even about Isa not realizing how much hurt Axel had been going through too._ _ _ _

____Grabbing the envelope he placed the paper inside and placed it back in the box and grabbed the next letter. He looked at his name, scrawled in what had to be Isa’s hand writing; it was way too neat to be Axel’s. Did he really have any right to be reading these? Even though they were addressed to _him_ , these were like Axel’s journal; a place for him to record everything he was going through at the time. _ _ _ _

____He stood up and grabbed his cell out of his pocket and tapped on Kairi’s name. As he walked around his apartment, waiting for her to pick up, Roxas thought about everything that was revealed in the letters. What was he going to say to Isa? To Axel?_ _ _ _

_____“Hey Roxas, are you ok??” _Kairi’s voice lilted through the speaker.__ _ _ _ _

______Wiping his eyes, he took a deep breath and released it. “Did you know?” he asked._ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Know what??” _Kairi asked, confused.__ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Did you know he was sick? Roxas demanded, running his hand through his hair and sniffling._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________“Who? Roxas, what is going on? Are you ok?” _Kairi asked, her worried tone carrying through the speaker.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Roxas sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose, growing more frustrated with each passing moment._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Axel. Did you know that he… he had cancer? Right after Dad died?” his voice broke at the end of his sentence. How could he have misjudged Axel so badly when his ex-boyfriend had done everything he could to keep him from getting hurt?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Kairi was silent on the other line until he heard her curse, “ _That son of a BITCH, he told us he was in the hospital, but never gave us the full details on what happened. I’m gonna kick his ASS!” _she exclaimed.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Roxas let out a soft laugh as he wiped his eyes. “Isa gave me a box of….I guess momentos and letters. The first one I read said he was diagnosed with prostate cancer… just like Dad…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Silence met him on the other line, but movement confirmed Kairi was still there. It sounded like she might’ve been throwing things. _“I’m so sorry Roxas, I swear, I didn’t know. Like I said. He told us he was hospitalized but that he was fine. It all makes sense now though-- his marriage to Isa, a year later and his hair was short, I never thought to put two and two together….what are you going to do?” _she asked.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Roxas came to a stop as he suddenly realized he was pacing. He stared at Turkey who had fallen asleep on the couch, “I-I don’t know. I should apologize though, I kind of snapped at him earlier.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Kairi snorted. _“Let him stew for a moment, you snapping at him is nothing compared to what he did to you...He had no right to keep that from everyone, and no right to say anything about Reno!” _she exclaimed.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Chewing on his lip, Roxas took a seat on the couch and leaned forward before blurting, “Reno was just a fling! It didn’t mean anything, seriously. I-I just miss Axel so fucking much and Reno was there at the funeral and he was so friendly. He kept flirting with me and I tried convincing myself out of it, but God, he was so willing and it just sort of happened. Reno was just a fling; he and I both agreed on that," he shrugged knowing full well Kairi couldn’t see him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_________________“I mean, it came as a shock to me too, but I’m also not in lo--, I’m not your ex. So I imagine Axel’s feeling a little hurt right now. Which is not me saying it’s your fault. You’re allowed to do whatever you want; with whomever you want, as long as you’re safe about it. I just think Axel still has issues with Reno, which is why he got so angry,” _Kairi explained. Then, after a minute, she added, _“Reno can be kind of a jerk sometimes.” ______ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Roxas considered this for a moment. It was true that Axel and Reno’s relationship was incredibly strained after Reno left for college. The abuse his father inflicted on Axel had gotten worse. He wondered if Axel blamed Reno for it._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________They talked a bit more before saying good-bye. Roxas promised Kairi he would visit her new store in Lestallum the chance he got, and Kairi wished him good luck before hanging up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________________Sighing, Roxas looked at Turkey, still peacefully sleeping in his bed. Roxas leaned back against the couch, the impending question weighing heavy on his mind: what was he going to do now?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roxas finally knows the truth. >:3


	7. Resolution

"Anyway, that's the gist of it. I'm still hurt but I feel awful and I don't know what to do. All I know is that I still love him, and I need to talk to him." Roxas sighed as he leaned back in his chair, moving the pieces of broccoli around on his plate. 

Aerith watched him for a moment before glancing over at Zack with an amused expression on her face. “Well, why not sit down with him and tell him how you feel?” she asked him. 

“Because he’s married.” Roxas sighed as he stabbed a piece of broccoli. He took a bite and stared at his plate. 

Zack shifted in his seat and glanced over at Roxas. “You said he kissed you at your welcome home party right? And in the letters Isa gave you, he said the marriage was so Axel could get insurance to cover his treatment, right? I think the feelings are very much reciprocated. I think you’re more afraid because it’s been so long. You may be afraid that the spark is no longer there,” he explained. 

Roxas stared at his mom’s boyfriend for a moment. He knew Zack was right, that was the exact reason he was so scared. What if they were both holding onto a nostalgic past? He leaned back, letting out a dramatic sigh. Sitting up straight he gave Zack a sad smile. “I know you’re right. I just have to nip this in the bud,” he confirmed stabbing some broccoli. 

After dinner was eaten, Aerith cleared their plates, placing them in the sink before grabbing out the chocolate swirl cheesecake Zack brought. They talked a little more about how Roxas was enjoying having his own place and how his practice was doing. He told them how quickly Turkey acclimated to the apartment, how quickly he was able to get new patients and how much he enjoyed the location of his office, which happened to be in the same plaza as the ice cream shop his dad used to take him and Ven to as kids.

He helped his mom clear the table of their dessert and tried helping her with the dishes, but was shooed away. When it came time for Roxas to head home, Aerith made sure he had some leftovers to take with him. She gave him a hug and before she pulled away completely, she smiled at him. “Your father would be so proud of everything you accomplished. Talk to Axel. I think you’d be surprised at what the outcome might be.” She kissed his forehead before releasing him. 

When he got home, he thought over what his mom had said.allowing the words to tumble and roll in his mind. “I think you’d be surprised at what the outcome might be,”

Leaning back against the couch, Roxas stared at the ceiling. What did he want the outcome to be? Did he want to be more than friends? Or did he want to say ‘I’m happy that you’re happy?’ and never speak to Axel again? 

He shook his head and leaned forward. No, he didn’t know if he could go another day without Axel in his life now that he was given a second chance. Feelings aside, if they stayed just friends, it meant never having to not see Axel again. 

But what if Axel wanted to pursue a relationship with him? There were the complications of Axel being a married and seemingly happily married man. What if Isa and Axel didn’t divorce? What if they did? Was Roxas ready to put his heart on such a vulnerable line? He didn’t even have to think about it. Of course he was. Ever since Axel came back into his life, it’s all he could think about at night, when he was showering, on his morning runs. How amazing it’d be to be with him again, how easy they’d fall back in love if they weren’t already in love when they started dating. 

Grabbing his phone, he looked through his contacts and stopped at Axel’s name. He hovered his thumb over his name for a moment before tapping the message icon.

The cursor blinked encouragingly at him, but Roxas still didn’t know what to say. Taking a deep breath, he typed out the first thing that came to mind:

_R - Can we meet up and talk?_

_He pressed the send button before he could talk himself out of it. Leaning back on the couch, he stared up at the ceiling. Would Axel even be interested in talking after their argument? They both had said some pretty nasty things to each other._

_A buzzing sound pulled Roxas out of his thoughts. He grabbed his phone and read the name across the screen. It was from Axel._

__A - Oh hey, I was gonna text you, once I figured out how to ask, when and where do you wanna meet?_ _

__Roxas let out a breath. He hadn’t been expecting a response so soon. Taking a moment to reply, he thought over the places they could go. There was the cafe, but that led to the chance of any of their friends seeing them. He didn’t want any of his friends to see him crying as he talked to his ex._ _

__The cemetery had a small gazebo that was secluded away where they could talk. It was mainly for mourning families to step away during funerals if they needed to cry or talk but didn’t want to disturb the other guests. It felt a little grim, but this conversation could be their last._ _

___R - How about the gazebo?_ _ _

____A - The one in the cemetery? Morbid Rox, lol. But sure. What time?_ _ _ _

_____R - How about tomorrow? Around 11:30?_ _ _ _ _

______A - Sounds good, see you then._ _ _ _ _ _

_______R- Yeah._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas let out a sigh of relief. The first hard part was done. They were finally going to sit down and talk after five years._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Turkey bumped Roxas’ knee and he leaned over to rub behind his cat’s ears, “We got a big day tomorrow. Let’s get some rest yeah?” he asked, picking up Turkey and heading into his bedroom to get ready for the night._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______\----_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He was running late._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas had plans to get up early to have breakfast and then head to the flower shop to get some flowers for his dad’s grave. He wasn’t expecting it to be so busy first thing in the morning._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He stood in line for over twenty minutes, glancing at his phone every so often to check the time. He sighed a breath of relief when Streletzia called him over to her register and helped him retrieve the flowers he wanted. With pink carnations in hand, Roxas gave a small nod of thanks to Strelitzia before heading back out._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He stopped at his dad’s grave, kneeled down to set the pink carnations down next to the bouquet of gladiolus and jasmine. Roxas considered who might’ve left the flowers. Maybe Prompto? One of his partners did share the name with one of the flowers but he couldn’t be too sure.As cheesy as it was, it wasn’t really something he could see his brother doing._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He kneeled down and said a quick prayer to the Gods, then kissed his fingers and pressed them to the headstone._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Wish me luck,” he whispered before standing up and heading to the gazebo._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas shoved his hands into his jean pockets as he walked up to the gazebo, then he stopped in his tracks. Axel was already there, waiting for him._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______He watched as Axel leaned up against the archway, his back to Roxas. A wave of nostalgia washed over him._ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Roxas shifted the strap of his backpack higher onto his shoulder, and made a face at his phone as he waited for his best friend to text back. Axel had skipped school without a warning and Roxas, well, he had already made plans to kick his ass. Since Axel had been absent, he was forced to sit with Ven and their other friends, which meant watching Riku make sad puppy eyes at Sora._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________He jumped when he felt his phone vibrate in his hand. Quickly he opened the text._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________**Meet me @ the usual spot** _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________After he finished reading the message, he sent a quick text to Ven letting him know he would be walking home and wouldn’t need a ride. Pocketing his phone, he started on the path towards the usual spot._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________As he walked, he considered everything he wanted to say to Axel about his absence. “Puppy dog eyes Ax! He’s so in love with Sora, but instead of **telling him** , he just pines. If he doesn’t tell Sora, **I will**.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________When he arrived, Roxas was ready to jump into his vent about Riku’s infatuation and how he planned on making sure Axel had to experience it, but he couldn’t find the words when his eyes landed on his best friend._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Axel sat on the worn out couch, his right arm in a sling and bright orange tape was wrapped around his cast. His face was badly bruised and a small bandage arched over his nose. He had a split lip and his left hand looked to be bandaged, but not in cast._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Roxas dropped his bag and rushed over to Axel. He cupped Axel’s face, gently, examining the damage. “What happened?” he demanded, keeping his voice low._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Axel closed his eyes as he leaned into Roxas’ hands. He reached up with his unbroken hand and gently grabbed Roxas’ wrist._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Dad came home drunk. Decided to raid through our rooms. He, uh, found my journal,” he explained as nonchalantly as he could. “No surprise here, but my dad’s a homophobe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Roxas looked at Axel horrified. “I’m so sorry Ax,” he whispered. He knew not everyone had as accepting parents as he did. He never thought in a million years that Axel’s father would be this cruel._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“It’s fine, so long as Kairi’s safe. She’s staying at a friend’s tonight so she doesn’t have to be there while Dad sleeps it off. That’s really all that matters to me. He didn’t touch her room. Just mine and Reno’s,” he said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Roxas bit his lip as he ran a hand through Axel’s hair, pushing it away from his face and cuts. “You wanna spend the night? I still have your emergency bag,” he said._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Are you sure? I don’t wanna impose. The first time was fine because no one was home, but your parents don’t really know me. What if they see us in bed together? They’re gonna think I’m corrupting you or something!” Axel rambled on and Roxas just watched in amusement._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“One. I want you there. You’re not imposing and you’d be a lot safer. Two, I’m pretty sure my parents know I’m gay, so they aren’t going to think you’re corrupting me. Plus my older brother is bisexual and they don’t care at all. Come home with me, where you’ll be safe.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Axel sighed, knowing Roxas wasn’t going to let this go. “Okay, yeah, I’ll spend the night. Did you grab all my homework for me?” he asked, trying to change the subject._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“I asked Terra to get them since you two are in the same classes,” Roxas said as he turned around to grab his backpack._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Axel stood and walked over to Roxas. “Hey, come here,” he said holding out his left arm. Roxas looked a little surprised, but moved quickly to give Axel a hug, resting his head on his chest, careful not to bump into Axel’s injuries._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________They stood together for a moment before Roxas pulled away a bit. He looked up at Axel, who was watching him, eyebrows raised, waiting for Roxas to say something. He stayed silent as he reached up and cupped the back of Axel’s neck, then met him for a gentle kiss._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas felt tears run down his cheeks and he quickly wiped his face. “Hey Axel,” he said, making his presence known._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel turned around quickly, concern washing over his face, “Roxas, are you okay?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Huh? Oh yeah, sorry. Just remembered something sad,” Roxas explained, rubbing the back of his neck._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Your dad?” Axel tilted his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Oh, no. Um our first kiss actually,” he admitted._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______A look of surprise formed on Axel’s face before he broke out into a grin. “I wasn’t that bad of a kisser back then, was I?” he joked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Well…” Roxas trailed off smiling._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel gasped dramatically before they both started to laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“I miss this,” Roxas sighed after catching his breath._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Yeah, me too.” Axel took a seat on the concrete bench and Roxas followed him. They sat together in silence before Axel spoke up._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“So…” Axel started, then trailed off.Roxas looked over at him, raising an eyebrow as he waited for him to continue._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel didn’t look at him, just continued to stare down at his hands. “I owe you an apology for how I reacted a few weeks ago.” He turned his head so he was finally looking at Roxas, who didn’t reply._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Isa knocked some sense into me when you left and helped me see things more clearly. I don’t know why I thought that things would be okay between us the moment I came back to town. It’s why I reacted the way I did, I expected things to be normal, we’d be best friends again. I expected you to forgive me for leaving you when you didn’t even know why. That wasn’t fair to you,” he explained._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas chewed his lip as he thought it over. He turned so he was facing Axel and gave him a small smile. He reached over to take his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“You’re right, it wasn’t fair. But Isa gave me the letters you wrote and I read them. It helped put all the pieces in place, helped me understand why you did what you did and even how you were trying to protect me. They gave me… not closure, but peace? I spent a lot of time thinking about where things had gone wrong and what I could’ve done to be a better boyfriend to you. Reading those letters helped me understand that we were just victims of some very shitty circumstances. But, now, I think all that matters is that you’re here. You’re alive, healthy, and in remission yeah?” he asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel nodded. “Four years as of March,” he confirmed._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas’ face lit up as he gave Axel a beaming smile. “I’m so happy for you!” He squeezed Axel’s hand gently._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel couldn’t help but match Roxas’ enthusiasm. He took his hand back and wrapped his arms around Roxas, pulling him into a hug. “I just want us to move on from what happened,” he whispered._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas returned the hug, burying his face into Axel’s chest. He took a deep breath, memorizing the way Axel smelled. “Me too. You were— no, are my best friend, that’s never changed. No matter how badly I wanted to hate you, I don’t want anything to ever come between us again,” he whispered._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______They stayed like that for a few moments, Roxas’ head pressed against Axel’s chest. He’d missed this so much, but he knew they had a long way to go before they could get back to being more than friends, if that was even an option at this point._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas moved to pull away from the hug, but Axel’s hands were still on his shoulders. He watched as Axel wet his lips before leaning down, his eyes closing. As he got closer, Roxas decided he was going to let this happen, if a kiss is what they needed to truly move on, then surely Isa would understand._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Just as their lips were about to touch, Axel’s phone went off in his pocket. He pulled away quickly and answered the phone._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Scooting a few inches away from Axel, Roxas took out his phone to check his messages and various social media sites. He didn’t want to eavesdrop on Axel’s conversation, so he focused on reading an article about a very grumpy and very wrinkly sphynx cat named Arthur._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Sorry about that, it was the real estate agent,” Axel stated as he pocketed his phone. Roxas did the same as he turned to look at Axel._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Oh, you guys are selling your father’s house? Are you and Isa going to get a place here or are you guys going back to Altissia?” Roxas asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel hummed. “Yes and no. We are selling the house, and he’s going back to Altissia. I’m staying here with Laurium and Namine until I get my own place.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas eyebrow furrowed. “Why are you getting a place here? Shouldn’t you be with your husband?” he asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel let out a laugh. “Oh, we haven’t told anyone this yet, but we’re getting divorced,” he said._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas’ mouth dropped open and he leaned forward, unable to control his surprise. “What?! Why? I thought you two were happy!” he exclaimed. His heart was racing at the news and he fought back an excited smile. He looked down at his hands thinking over all the possibilities. He felt like he was getting ahead of himself here, but he still had so many questions going through his head. What did this all mean? Were the Gods finally taking pity on his heart and his undying love for his best friend? Were the Gods blessing them with a second chance? He was starting to get ahead of himself _again_. Kairi hadn’t mentioned there being any marital problems between the two when everyone met up. And from what Roxas could remember from seeing them interact, they seemed happy. _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“You read my letters right? Isa proposed we get married so his insurance would cover me, that was the deal. He’s one of my closest friends, but we’re not in love. Never were, just the thought of kissing him gives me the heebie jeebies. And don’t tell him I told you this, but he’s happily engaged to someone else,” Axel explained._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______No wonder Axel kept trying to kiss him, Roxas thought. All this time, they hadn’t been in love. The letters Isa gave him had stopped around Roxas’ 20th birthday, so he just assumed after a fake marriage, they had fallen in love. He couldn’t believe it; he was rendered speechless._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“What about your job?” he blurted out._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel looked at him with a confused, yet amused expression on his face, "I work from home actually. When I had finished college, Isa hired me as an assistant for one of the managers in his company. Isa actually created the position for me because I was still recovering from chemo and since a lot of what I do is online or digital, it made recovering easier. I have to go to Altissia once a year for the big corporation meeting, but it pays the bills and my schedule allows me to work on my own personal projects. Speaking of, I'm working on something now that I am really excited about. If I scheduled everything correctly, it should be finished by September." he grinned._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas watched him for a moment, then shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re going to be in Twilight Town again. This is insane, Ax!” he said happily. He was so happy-- happy to have this chance to be friends again… and maybe more than friends again._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Thanks Rox, I think it’ll be good. I can finally really start my life now.” Axel bumped his shoulder against Roxas’. Silence fell over them before Axel stood up._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“I’m starving, you wanna go grab something to eat?” he asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______It was nearing three in the afternoon and the prospect of going and having a very early dinner with Axel was very tempting. Maybe he could wiggle in a conversation about them trying out a relationship again. Or was it too soon? Maybe it was too soon._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Plus he promised Ven and Terra he’d tell them how things went when he went over for dinner that evening._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______But early dinner meant more time with Axel. No, he should wait. Talk to Ven and Terra about it and see what they have to say. Plus he’d want to look more presentable for a possible date with Axel._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Roxas pretended to look at the time and made a face. “Actually, I need to get home to make some apple pie, I promised Ven and Terra I’d have dinner with them, but maybe sometime this week?” he suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______Axel nodded with a soft smile on his face. “Yeah, text me?” he asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“Will do, see ya later Axel. Looking forward to it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______“See ya buddy.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man. Zack has some really good advice doesn't he?
> 
> I wonder who Isa's fiance is :p
> 
> as always comments and kudos are appreciated.


	8. Of Road Trip Plans and Birthdays

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> new tags!

As they had promised, Roxas and Axel met up for dinner later that week. Roxas was nervous that things would be awkward, but the moment Axel showed up, it was like nothing had happened. The conversation flowed freely, jokes were made and at the end of the dinner, plans were made to have dinner again. 

And again.

And again, until it became a weekly arrangement where they’d either meet up at a local eatery or at Roxas’ apartment to have dinner. When they met up at Roxas’ place, they took turns being in charge of dinner. Roxas would make his favorite dishes he learned from living in Hallow Bastion, and Axel would make his favorite dishes from Altissia. 

“Look what I found when I was cleaning out my dad’s garage,” Axel said, holding up the shoebox he had brought with him.

Roxas looked over the opening in his kitchen and his eyes went wide. “Is that the shoebox?” he asked as he grabbed both glasses of wine and brought them over. Tonight was enchilada night, and they had some time before their food would be ready. 

Taking a seat, Roxas handed Axel his wine, then set down his own glass so he could take the shoebox and open it. Inside were the random items that Axel and Roxas had collected during their high school years:Tickets to concerts they went to, prom pictures of them and their friends, raffle tickets to the local arcade that shut down a few years after Roxas moved away. 

“Oh yeah, remember this?” Axel asked, pulling out a random folded piece of paper that was very clearly drawn on with a sharpie and had seen better years. Roxas watched as Axel unfolded the paper carefully, before showing off the list they had made when they were teens. 

On the top margin said _‘ **Axel and Roxas’ Grand Adventures** ’_ with different doodles surrounding the words. Below that was a list of things they wanted to do after Roxas’ senior year of high school, but they never got around to it because they were always too busy with other things. 

“Yeah, I do. I remember we made this my senior year of high school. Man, some of these places aren’t even open anymore,” Roxas said, handing the paper back to Axel before looking through more of the items in the shoebox. 

“I was actually thinking we could update it. Since we’re older now, I’m sure there are things we want to do instead. Or we can do some of the things we listed here,” Axel said. He looked at Roxas, hopeful of his answer. 

Roxas glanced at the list. He knew it’d be fun, but he was also still at war with himself on whether or not he wanted to date Axel so soon after his divorce. And some of the things they had planned like sneaking into and camping at the old mansion were prime opportunities for them to be alone. 

“Let me think about it, okay?” he asked, giving Axel a smile.

Axel nodded. “Yeah,” he said. 

Roxas drew in a deep breath to say something more, and the timer for the enchiladas went off. They sat together at his dining room table and ate dinner, the question still hanging over their heads. When Axel went home, Roxas promised he’d have an answer for Axel sometime soon. 

\----

“S’up guys,” Roxas asked as he headed inside Ven and Terra’s house, bags of food in his hands. Terra rushed to grab the bags and motioned to the couch. 

“Neither of you are allowed to lift a finger. Prompto and his partners are gonna be here soon to help too,” Terra explained as he headed into the kitchen. 

Roxas raised an eyebrow at Ventus who just shrugged. “He says it’s our special day so we get to relax and only relax. He won’t even allow me to get up to get myself something to drink.” Ventus pouted, crossing his arms. 

Laughing, Roxas patted Ven’s arm before standing up and heading to the kitchen. He held his hands up at Terra before pointing to the fridge. “I’m just getting something to drink before Ven shrivels up from thirst,” he said. 

“And hunger! I want the finger food I picked out!” Ventus demanded from the living room. Roxas looked over his shoulder with a laugh before turning his attention back to Terra. “I can bring the food and drinks. It’s the least I can do since I don’t live here. I will allow you to handle everything else.” He grabbed everything he needed out of the fridge, then made two trips to make sure he didn’t spill any drinks or drop the food Terra had prepared. He took a seat next to Ventus and grabbed a finger sandwich. 

It wasn’t long before Prompto and his partners arrived with Axel in tow. 

“Look who we found outside!” Prompto said as he clapped Axel on the shoulder. 

Ventus smirked at Roxas, but Roxas just rolled his eyes and went to greet his friend. “Oh hi, you got here early,” he said, taking the bags Axel handed him. 

“Heh, sorry about that. I had to pick up your gifts and I promised Namine I’d stop by the house to bring her gifts too. She wanted me to wish you both a happy birthday on her behalf, she’s been put on bed rest until next week. Poor thing is going stir crazy,” Axel said sadly. 

Ventus pouted. “That’s too bad. I’ll have to call her later. You want a tour of the remodel?” he asked. 

“Actually, I had promised Axel a tour, if you don’t mind getting our guests drinks?” Roxas smiled at his brother who raised his eyebrow, but kept quiet as he walked away. 

Roxas turned to Axel and gestured towards the hallway. He showed him the first floor, which was the office, guest room, and three linen closets. 

“Hey this was Ventus’ old room wasn’t it?” Axel asked as they headed into the first guest bedroom on the second floor. It was decorated nicely with an ocean theme, paintings of sea shores and a shadow box filled with shells from Destiny Islands. 

“Yeah, I remember he begged mom and dad to have the bigger room so he had more room for dance. Dad even installed the ballet bar for him before he eventually built the dance shed in the backyard,” Roxas said, leaning against the edge of the bed. 

“I remember that. I also remember when we made out on his bed once after a party where you were completely wasted,” Axel smirked, sitting next to Roxas. 

Groaning, Roxas ran his hands down his face. “Ugh, yeah, I remember. That was the weekend Mom and Dad were out of town and Ventus had snuck Terra into the house because he thought we’d be out longer.” He laughed, wiping away a tear. “Ventus was so embarrassed. You’d think we caught them having sex or something.” 

Axel joined in on his laughter, falling to the bed, which caused Roxas to fall back as well. He stared up at the ceiling and sighed, “Those were the days.” 

“Yeah, you ever think about if you could go back? Change a few things?” Axel asked. 

Roxas turned and studied Axel’s profile for a moment. “Not really. Maybe spend more time with Dad, but I’m pretty happy with how things turned out,” he said. 

“Yeah, I don’t think I would want to either.” Axel turned to face Roxas and gave him a small smile. 

Returning the smile, Roxas studied Axel’s face before settling at his mouth for a moment. He chewed his lip as he made a rash decision. He moved closer so he was shoulder to shoulder with Axel and tilted his chin up as Axel moved down. They were inches away, inching closer to each other, as if they were to speed, it’d ruin the moment. Just as their lips were about to connect, the doorbell rang. Roxas jumped and fell off the bed. 

“Ow,” he mumbled as he stood up and brushed off his clothes. He could feel how hot his cheeks were and he silently cursed whoever had shown up at that moment. Motioning to the door, Roxas started heading towards the hall. “I should go greet our guests,” he said. 

Axel nodded quickly and shooed him away. “Yeah, I’m gonna go….outside, Gladio had some barbeque tips to share,” he said, giving Roxas a tight-lipped smile. 

“Right, see you down there then.” Roxas nodded once before rushing down the stairs, trying to clear his head of his misfortune. Why did this keep happening to them? The universe had to have some personal vendetta against him. 

Opening the door, Roxas was greeted by Demyx and Ienzo. 

He grinned and moved away from the door to allow them inside. “Thanks for showing up guys. Here let me take these for you. What would you like to drink?” he asked, taking the birthday present bags from Ienzo and closing the door. 

He placed the bags in the living room where the rest of the presents were waiting to be opened. He headed back to his friends who were greeting Terra and Ventus. 

“Drinks?” Roxas asked again, as he got into the fridge. 

“Water for me please,” Ienzo requested. 

“Same here, I’ll wait for more guests to show up to start drinking.” Demyx grinned as Roxas grabbed out water. He handed them the bottles before grabbing one out for himself. 

Laughter erupted from the backyard where Axel, Prompto, and his partners were working on the grill and talking. 

“Is _that_ Reno?” Demyx asked, pointing at Axel. 

“No, that’s _Axel,_ ” Ventus replied before Roxas got the chance. 

Demyx looked at the red head for a moment before turning back to Roxas. “Axel? The _**ex** Axel?_” he asked, his eyes wide. 

Roxas nodded as he took a sip of his water, watching as Axel said something that made all three of his brother’s partners laugh. “Yup,” he answered.

“Dude. Please tell me you’re at least banging him. He’s so hot,” Demyx said. 

“He’s not, but he definitely wants to,” Terra piped in, earning a slap from Ventus. 

_Would’ve kissed him earlier had you guys not had the worst timing ever._ Roxas thought before crossing his arms. “It’s complicated,” he defended with a pout. Which was kind of true. Despite the scene that happened in the guest room, Roxas still wasn’t sure if it was the right time to pursue a relationship with Axel. After all, Axel and Isa were getting a divorce, and he wanted to give Axel time to start his new life without the complication that came with a new relationship. 

“Hm, complicated?” Ienzo questioned, side-eyeing Roxas. 

“Yes, complicated. He’s still technically married and even though they’re filing for divorce, I don’t want to complicate that. He’s actually going back to Altissia to get more of his things from Isa’s and to sign the divorce papers. Like, I know their marriage was fake, but Isa is one of his closest friends and he helped Axel through a lot when he was sick. I don’t want to thrust the potential of a relationship on him. I want to ease into a relationship with him, naturally,” Roxas said, moving his hand around to emphasize his point. 

Ienzo snorted and shook his head. “I think you’re just overthinking things in the way you do,” he teased. 

Roxas opened his mouth to argue further when the doorbell interrupted him. He flipped off his friends as he headed to the door and opened it. Kairi hugged him as she bustled into the house, and Vanitas gave him a much calmer handshake before following his girlfriend inside. Roxas took the gifts and nodded towards the back of the house. 

“Ven is in the kitchen if you’d like to ask him for a drink, or there’s some more drinks out in the back with Prom,” Roxas explained, setting the gifts with the others before taking Kairi’s purse into the master bedroom. He returned to the living room where everyone had gathered. He settled down in a comfy chair as Demyx and Kairi jumped into a deep conversation about her new boutique and how she’d love to design something for him. But then the doorbell rang and he was up and answering the door again, letting in Hayner, Olette, Pence, and Aqua. 

Aqua greeted Roxas with a hug and a kiss to his cheek. “You said you had a friend who's looking for a place to live?” she asked as Roxas led her to the kitchen to get her something to drink. 

“Yeah! My friend Axel, he’s recently moved back into town and he’s been staying with my cousin and her fiance for the past month. But she’s recently found out that she’s having a baby and he doesn’t want to impose any longer than he needs to,” Roxas explained. He knew Namine and Marluxia wouldn’t kick him out even when the baby arrived, but Axel had already expressed his stress and concern of getting his own place before the pregnancy had been confirmed. With a baby on the way, it was more important than ever to find a new place.

“Okay! I’ll put out some feelers to see if any of my landlord friends have vacancies. If he can wait a few weeks, I know we’re getting a couple at the end of the month too. Is he here? I’d love to meet him,” Aqua said as she took the water from Roxas . 

“Yeah! Follow me, you can finally meet my brother Prompto and his partners too,” Roxas said, leading the way to the backyard. Prompto came bounding over, wrapping his arm around his brother’s neck. 

“Hey it’s one of the birthday boys!” He ruffled Roxas’ hair before releasing him. 

Roxas stuck his tongue out at Prompto as he fixed his hair before introducing Aqua to everyone. He turned to Axel and gestured between them. “Aqua this is my friend Axel, Axel this is my landlord and friend Aqua.” He introduced them, then stepped away so they could shake hands. 

“It’s great to finally meet you! Roxas has told me so much about you,” Aqua said with a smile. 

Axel raised an eyebrow at Roxas who pretended to be interested in something on the side of the house. “All good things, I hope,” Axel grinned, then followed up by a kiss on her hand, which made Aqua laugh. 

“How charming,” she said sweetly.

Roxas rolled his eyes as Axel shot him a grin before jumping into a conversation with Aqua. Knowing that they’d be fine on their own, he headed back inside to spend time with his other guests. 

“Ya know, that’s really sweet what you’re doing for him,” Ventus said as Roxas walked in. 

Eyebrows furrowed, Roxas looked at his brother with faux confusion. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said nonchalantly as he waved his hand dismissively. Ventus snorted and playfully punched his shoulder.

“Yeah, okay Rox.” 

Roxas slapped his hand away, which started a playful slapping fight between the two brothers. Then Prompto had walked in to grab something from the fridge, saw what they were doing, and joined in. He grabbed Ventus and threw him over his shoulder, allowing Roxas to escape and hide behind Demyx. 

“Go on you two, I’m banning you from the kitchen. Entertain your guests. Sora and Riku just showed up, go say hi,” Prompto teased, releasing Ven into Terra’s arms, he started placing kisses all over Ven’s face. He released Ven and shooed them both out of the kitchen. 

Roxas stuck his tongue out at Ventus before wrapping his arm around his twin’s shoulders as they walked into the living room. They greeted their cousin and Riku before showing them where to put their gifts and telling them to help themselves to drinks in the kitchen or outside in the cooler. 

“Anyone up for a round of Jackbox?” Hayner asked as he hooked up his computer to the television. 

An hour and a few rounds of Jackbox later, Prompto the others headed inside with the food from the grill. “Lunch is served, c’mon get your chow on!” Prompto said with a laugh, setting down the plates on the counter. 

Before either Ven or Roxas could stand up to get plates for everyone, Terra stood up, shooting them both a ‘don’t even try it’ look before heading into the kitchen to help with plates and silverware. When he returned, Roxas and Ventus were still standing, waiting for their guests to go before them. Terra stood with his hands on his hips, “Stop being so polite, it’s your birthdays! You guys go first.” 

Their guests also insisted they take the first plates, so Roxas piled his plate with food before taking a seat. Axel took a seat next to him, his own plate filled with food. “I have a tour with Aqua next week,” he said nonchalantly between bites.. 

Roxas hummed, fighting off a smile as he took a bite of the potato salad Terra made. “Oh yeah? What floor plan?” he asked. 

“Plan C, two bedrooms, one bath, figured a master and a guest room would be nice for when Kairi, Isa, or Reno are in town,” Axel said, shifting closer to Roxas so the others could walk by. 

“That’s cool. From what I had seen online, the plans are pretty much the same.” Roxas stabbed a piece of potato salad with his fork and ate it. 

Silence fell over them for a moment before Axel bumped his shoulder against Roxas’. “Thanks Rox.” he smiled at him. 

“Yeah, it’s not a big deal, glad I could help,” Roxas grinned. 

As they ate, the remaining guests piled into the living with their drinks and food, talking and laughing. Looking around the room, Roxas felt his chest grow warm as he thought about his friends and how almost all of them had managed to gather here. 

Never in a million years did he think he’d be sitting in his childhood home with his brother and his friends after everything that happened. He never thought he and Axel would be friends again after everything, and yet here they were _friends,_ now. There was even a small possibility that they could rekindle their relationship. 

For the first time in a very, very long time, Roxas was one hundred percent content with his life. 

“Roxas and Ven should open presents soon!” Kairi said, clapping her hands together. 

Terra started handing Ven and Roxas their presents. Roxas waited until Ventus was done opening his gifts before opening his own. Most of Ventus’ gifts consisted of summer clothes and things he needed for the new semester, with some nice cologne from Terra. 

Roxas on the other hand, got some candy from Altissia from Kairi, a framed poster of his favorite band from Demyx, oil paints and brushes from Namine, some Blue Marble Cologne from Hayner, and knick knacks for his apartment and office from Ventus and Terra. 

“Last gift is from...Axel.” Roxas said as he placed the gift in his lap. It was a small light blue bag, with chocobos on it. 

He pulled out the tissue and unwrapped a long rectangular box. He opened it, seeing two tickets to Altissia’s Annual Halloween Festival. 

“I remember you always loved Halloween growing up and we always talked about going when we were in college. But we never did, so I thought we could go now. Or you can take whoever you want. If you don’t want to go with me,” Axel mumbled out.

Roxas looked at the tickets before wrapping his arms around Axel. “These are perfect Ax, seriously. And of course I’m gonna take you with me! It wouldn’t be the same without you.” He laughed, placing the tickets back in the box and setting them into the bag so they didn’t get lost. 

He let his arm drop from around Axel, but Axel reached over and placed his hand over Roxas’. Roxas couldn’t help the blush that formed on his cheeks, but kept his hand there for the rest of the evening. 

With the food eaten and presents unwrapped, Terra slipped into the kitchen and brought out the cake. After an enthusiastic round of the ‘happy birthday’ song, people went back to chatting or playing Jackbox. Everyone seemed to be having a good time, but one by one people began to leave before it got to be too late. 

“We’ll see you at the club, Roxas!” Kairi said, kissing his cheek before taking Vanitas’ hand and heading out the door. 

“That’s my queue to leave. I have a flight at midnight and I still need to make sure I have everything packed before then,” Axel said as he stood up and dusted off his pants. 

Roxas jumped to his feet and followed Axel to the front door. “I’ll walk you out,” he said. They walked out to Axel’s car and stood together for a few moments, holding hands but not saying a word. 

“Have you given the road trip any more thought?” Axel asked after a few more beats of silence. 

Roxas bit his lip. If he was being honest, he hadn’t stopped thinking about it. His heart was telling him to jump in, go on an adventure with his best friend, but his mind was telling him to give Axel more time and space. 

“I’m still unsure, but I will have an answer soon, I promise,” Roxas sadly admitted. He knew Axel was waiting for an answer and he was just prolonging the inevitable. 

“We’ve got time. My flight, however, does not. I’ll see you when I get back?” Axel asked, shoving his hands into his pocket.

Roxas nodded and opened his arms for Axel. “Yeah of course, sorry, ha,” he said as Axel hugged him back, resting his cheek on top of Roxas’ head. 

“Tell Isa I said hello and bring me a bottle of their best Rose!” Roxas teased as they pulled apart. 

Axel laughed. “Will do. See ya later Rox,” he said before leaning down pressing a kiss to Roxas’ cheek. 

Roxas blushed before waving good-bye to Axel. He watched until Axel turned onto the adjacent road and was no longer in sight before heading back inside. Roxas couldn’t help but smile as he thought about the promise the two had made to go to the Altissia Halloween Festival together. 

When Roxas returned to the living room, the others were discussing the plans for the rest of the evening. Prompto and his partners were going to head to the hotel to get changed while Pence, Hayner, and Ollette headed to the club to snag a VIP booth for their small party. Roxas headed upstairs to change in the guest room while Ventus and Terra retreated to their room.

Once everyone was ready, Prompto stopped by to pick everyone up and they headed to the club. They met up with the others who already had a plate of shots ready to go. 

“To Ventus and Roxas!” Kairi said, followed by a chorused echo as everyone took a shot. 

“I’m gonna go dance, who's with me?” Prompto asked as he dropped his stuff off in the booth and headed to the dance floor. Roxas watched his older brother and shook his head, taking a seat. 

“You gonna join us?” Ventus asked, already halfway out of his seat. 

Roxas shook his head again. “Later, I need to let the food from earlier digest more,” he said. 

Roxas nursed his drink while he watched the others dance, although his mind kept returning, inevitably, to Axel. He had no idea how much time had passed before Ignis moved into the booth with a gin in one hand and a hard apple cider in the other. He placed the cider in front of Roxas before sipping on his gin.

“Tell me about this Axel fellow. Prompto tells me you two go way back,” he said.

Roxas moved from where he had his chin on his arms. He took a sip of his drink and thanked Ignis, then let out a quiet chuckle. Of course Prompto said something to his partners, why wouldn’t he?

“Yeah, we met in highschool. We became fast best friends my sophomore year. It was a few months into our friendship that we realized that we liked each other. I had kissed him one time, after a scary incident and that really solidified our feelings for each other. It wasn’t until my parents introduced him to my family as my boyfriend that we actually decided to date. We dated for a few years before our relationship ended when my dad died,” Roxas explained, resting his cheek on his hand as he watched his friends and family dance to the live band.  
“Hm, I see,” Ignis said, nodding his head. “Makes sense then.” 

Raising an eyebrow, Roxas turned to Ignis. “What do you mean?” he asked. 

Ignis took a sip before replying. “Just how you two interact with each other. Reminds me a lot of how Prompto used to interact with Noctis back when they were in high school; longing looks of admiration, hand holding or hugs that lasted for just a few moments longer than they should. If I hadn’t known you two had dated in the past, I probably would’ve assumed you two were dating now. Or at least on the brink of it,” he explained. 

Chewing on his lip, Roxas took a sip of his cider, thinking back on the party. He wasn’t aware of any of the things Ignis had pointed out and he wondered if anyone else had noticed them. Just as he went to say something, Ignis handed him his phone. “That is the face of someone who is still very much in love with his ex,” he said. 

Taking the phone, Roxas sat up and looked at the picture Ignis had pulled up. It was when he and Axel were hanging out after presents were opened and Terra had read off a funny line from Quiplash. Roxas was laughing, leaning forward trying to catch his breath with his eyes closed tight. And Axel stood next to him, leaning against the wall with a longing expression accompanied with the softest smile, directed right at Roxas. 

“Between this photo and the gift he gave you, I’d say that he is a man in love,” Ignis said as Roxas continued to examine the photo. 

“Yeah, I just… I don’t know what to do, ya know? He showed me this list. We made it back in high school, it was a road trip of sorts, we planned it for after I was in collegel, the summer after my first year, but that was when things fell apart. Now, there’s this great opportunity to start over, to see if the sparks are still there, but he’s going through a divorce. Even if the marriage was a farce, is it smart to pursue a relationship with him? They were-- no are friends. Shouldn’t I give him time?” Roxas took a swig of his cider. 

“Well, I think you’re trying to make a decision for Axel when you should let Axel make that decision for himself,” Ignis said after a moment’s consideration. “Only he can make the decision on whether or not he’s ready for a real relationship with someone after a fake marriage. Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe you’re a bit timid to start dating again because of what happened when you were nineteen correct?” 

Roxas nodded, staring down at his bottle of cider, unable to meet Ignis’ sharp gaze. Ignis nodded, once.

“Well then, consider everything that has happened and combine it with the knowledge you know now. If Axel came up to you right now and asked you on a date, would the decision be a difficult one to make? ” Ignis asked. 

Roxas thought it over for a moment. If someone had asked him that last year, it would’ve been a hard and fast ‘no.’ But knowing Axel had gotten sick, knowing that everything that had happened was to ensure he received treatment, that changed things. Now that he knew? 

“No, it wouldn’t,” he said looking at Ignis. 

“Then stop overthinking it. Give him a chance and let him take the lead,” Ignis said bumping his shoulder against Roxas’. 

“How are you so good at this?” Roxas asked. 

Ignis raised an eyebrow with an amused smile. “You need more psychology friends, Roxas,” He gave Roxas a final friendly nudge before waving to Prompto and heading out towards the dancefloor, leaving Roxas to his thoughts. 

Roxas watched him before letting out a heh. He pulled out his own phone and found Axel’s phone number, then typed:

_R- I’m down.  
R- for the road trip, I mean   
R- Sorry for taking so long to decide_

He sent the messages and leaned back against the booth, watching his friends dance and have a good time. Feeling the table buzz, he looked at the messages he received in rapid succession. He hadn’t realized Axel would’ve landed already, but he smiled as he read over the enthusiastic replies. 

_A- SWEET! It’s no big deal, I’ve updated it a bit since some of the places we wanted to go when we were in high school have closed/changed, but let me know if you have any ideas.  
A- Oh, g2g, Isa’s here to pick me up. Ttyl. Happy birthday Roxas!_

Roxas laughed, shaking his head, sending Axel a quick ‘thanks and ttyl’ before pocketing his phone. He watched his friends some more, deciding to join them finally. It was his birthday, for God’s sake! Downing his drink, he moved out of the booth and headed onto the dancefloor, dancing up to his friends who whooped and hollered as he approached. 

They danced until the club called final hour. Ignis drove them all home, and when he dropped Roxas off at his apartment, Roxas made sure to thank him for the advice. Ignis smiled and gave him a wink. 

“Anytime Roxas.” 

Roxas headed inside and locked the door. He fell face first on his couch and reached out for Turkey, who greeted him with enthusiastic headbutts

“Hi buddy, miss me?” he asked, running a finger over Turkey’s nose. He pet his cat for a few moments before making himself get up. He looked over the presents on his dining room table, then shrugged as he headed to his bedroom, deciding to forgo putting his presents away. That was a problem for future Roxas. 

He got ready for bed and snuggled in, thinking about the kiss Axel placed on his cheek as Turkey hopped onto the bed and under the covers. He could still feel the warmth and tingle on his skin. With a happy sigh, he wrapped his arm around his cat and fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooo.
> 
> I have no quippy author's note today, but we are getting into the fun stuff of the story. 
> 
> Just as a warning, I have two chapters left completely written, so I may take a small hiatus to get the remaining chapters written. We'll see how long it takes me. I'll let you all know if it happens. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated!


	9. Stargazing

Roxas looked at the different options for wine as Sora continued talking about his and Riku’s wedding plans. 

He and Axel had texted each other throughout Axel’s trip to Altissia and finalized their plans for their road trip. The first event? Sneaking into the clocktower after dark to have dinner, and drink wine while they stargazed. 

Was it romantic? Of course it was.

Was Roxas avoiding any and all questions on whether or not this road trip was just a ploy to get them back together? Of course he was. 

“...we’re thinking about going to the islands for our Honeymoon. Riku hasn’t gone since we were kids and I think it’ll be a fun getaway. Plus we can see family and maybe visit my mom and dad,” Sora said, pulling Roxas out of his thoughts. He quickly grabbed a bottle of chardonnay and looked it over. 

“That actually sounds like a lot of fun Sora, I think that’s perfect for you two. Any updates on when the wedding will be?” Roxas asked, placing the bottle on the shelf. Why was he so stressed about a bottle of wine for a not-a-date, but it definitely could be a date? He chewed on his lip before grabbing a bottle of Rosé. 

“We’re aiming for next year. It’ll give us enough time to save up more and hire a photographer,” Sora said as he set a few things in the cart. 

Since Roxas had moved back to Twilight Town, Sora had proposed a monthly family dinner. Nothing spectacular really, just a nice dinner where they shared updates on their lives. Sometimes Aerith and Zack would show up when their schedules allowed. Namine usually showed up at the tail end of the dinner with dessert, as she was usually busy dealing with last minute art galleries and wasn’t able to make it for the main course. With the weather heating up and Summer just around the corner, they opted for a barbecue.

Sora wanted to get out of the house for the morning and begged Roxas to join him, knowing that Roxas had the day off. Roxas decided to tag along, wanting to spend time with Sora like they used to when they were kids. 

“Do you know if Terra’s allergic to anything?” Sora asked as they made their way to the fruit and veggie aisle. Roxas contemplated grabbing some strawberries for the night, but knew Axel had already some sort of food for them to eat and asked him to only bring wine. Plus there was no guarantee that the strawberries would last till dinner. 

“Apples. He can’t have apples,” Roxas said, grabbing a couple things he needed for his lunch. 

“Perfect. Riku has this new dish idea he wants to make for the restaurant and he wants to make it for dessert this week. He tried it when he was in Altissia a few weeks ago and he wants to try it out on all of us to make sure it’s something our customers will enjoy,” Sora explained, grabbing a couple pineapples and a bag of oranges. 

Roxas nodded absentmindedly as he grabbed a few bags of apples for himself. He was sure he had a jar of peanut butter somewhere in his apartment. He’d have to pick some up just in case. He couldn’t remember if he had used it all yet. 

“Roxas?” Sora asked, pulling him away from his internal peanut butter dilemma. 

“Hm?” he hummed turning to his cousin who gave him a laugh. 

“I was saying you should invite Axel to dinner this weekend. If he’s available, that is,” Sora repeated himself as he looked over at the Watermelons that were displayed. 

Biting his lip, he gave a small nod, “Sure, I’m seeing him tonight so I’ll pass along the invite.” he promised as they made their way out of the fresh produce section. 

“Oooo, is tonight the romantic stargaze at the clocktower or is it one of your intimate, cook for each other dinners?” Sora asked leaning against the cart. Roxas froze as he grabbed a box of cookies. He licked his lip and took a deep breath. 

“We’re having dinner and stargazing. And it’s not romantic. These were things we wanted to do when we were 18 and 19, I don’t know if you can consider these things romantic,” he explained. He was really starting to regret telling his family about the plans he had with Axel. 

Sora placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow at Roxas, “That is a bullshit lie. You and Axel have been tip-toeing around each other for literal months now. You know the truth, you know he’s getting a divorce, it’s very clear he’s still very into you, why not give him a chance?” he shook his head as he started to lead the way to the next aisle. 

“I never said I wasn’t giving him a chance,” Roxas said defensively. He let out a frustrated growl at the look of ‘oh really’ Sora gave him and he continued to follow his cousin down the aisle. 

“I’m giving him a chance. He hasn’t mentioned any of the things we’re doing on this road trip thing, a date, so I’m not going to jump the gun. As soon as he says it’s a date, then it’s a date,” he shrugged his shoulders as Sora grabbed a bag of flour. 

“Okay, okay. I understand and I think that’s valid. I just want to see you happy Roxas. The last memory I had of you was you slapping Riku and storming off. And now, seeing Axel back in your life is the happiest I have seen you in a very, very long time,” Sora placed his hand on Roxas’ arm. 

Roxas looked at his cousin for a moment before giving him a small half smile, “I know. Even if he and I don’t start dating, I have one of my closest friends back and honestly that’s more than I could’ve asked for. But don’t worry. Ignis talked some sense into me and I’m not sitting here overthinking things. I’m letting things happen as they happen. It’s the only thing I can do.” He turned to Sora to give him a closed lip smile. 

Sora returned the smile as he reached over and ruffled Roxas’ hair, before they headed off down more aisles to pick up things they needed for the dinner that week. And things Roxas needed for his own personal groceries. 

When Roxas arrived home, he took everything in the kitchen and put his groceries away, including the strawberries he was so torn up about. 

There was enough time, maybe he could make them chocolate covered strawberries. 

He flopped on the couch and looked at the time to see he had a few hours before he had to get ready for his… Meet up? With Axel?

Maybe Sora was right, maybe there was no reason to beat around the bush and just call it, what it was, which was a date. He just didn’t want to jump in and end up getting the situation wrong. 

He groaned as Turkey jumped on his chest and got settled down, his head tucked under his chin. 

“What do you think, Turkey? Am I overthinking things?” Roxas asked, rubbing his finger over his cat’s head. 

He was met with just a purr. 

After the first hour of just laying on the couch with Turkey, Roxas started to grow anxious. He started cleaning his apartment, even going as far as making the chocolate covered strawberries and deep cleaning the kitchen before getting ready. 

He hopped into the shower and cleaned himself of the day’s grime. Once he was finished, he dried off quickly, wrapping his hair into a towel before heading into his closet to pick out something to wear. 

Looking through his clothing, Roxas huffed as he tried to figure out what to wear. Why did he have so many clothes? 

Grabbing his phone, he looked through his contacts until he landed on Demyx. He sent him a quick text, asking him if he was up for a facetime. 

A short moment later, Roxas’ phone started to chime with an incoming facetime request. He answered it and waved at Demyx and Ienzo. 

“Sup Rox?” Demyx asked. From the looks of it, Demyx was sitting on his couch, with Ienzo curled up on his arm, looking up at the phone.

“Hey guys…. I’m in a bit of a dilemma, I have no idea what to wear tonight,” Roxas said as he sorted through his clothes again. 

“Tonight? Oh! Is tonight the start of your romantic road trip with Axel?” Demyx asked, wiggling his eyebrows. 

Roxas flipped him off as he pulled out a few potential options, “It’s not romantic, nor is it a date.” 

“Roxas, you called us for fashion advice. You two are what…. Going to the clock tower to have dinner and stargaze? I’d consider that a date. You’ll thank us when we get to say we told you so,” Ienzo said before returning his attention to the book that was in his lap.

Demyx laughed as Roxas rolled his eyes and pouted at his friends, “If I admit that this is a date will you guys help me?” he whined, deepening his pout. 

Ienzo just laughed and patted Demyx’s arm. “I’ll leave you two to it, but I do demand every detail tomorrow afternoon,” he said looking at Roxas. 

“Tomorrow….afternoon?” Roxas asked, confused. 

“He’s implying you two will be spending the night,” Demyx grinned. 

Roxas groaned, pulling more clothes out of the closet, “I hate both of you.” 

He and Demyx talked over facetime, going over different outfits before finally settling on a pair of dark wash jeans and a simple long sleeved black shirt. 

Demyx had made a good point to wear something familiar, since Axel knew him there really wasn’t a need to impress him; just remind him why they had agreed to meet up in the first place. Plus summer nights always grew colder the later it got, so the long sleeves wouldn’t be too stifling. 

“Perfect! you look great, Rox! Now go get him and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Demyx sang as he signed off with a wave and a wink. As Roxas went to say something, the call ended, leaving him alone in his closet. 

“Well, I guess that’s sound advice.” He looked at the time to see it was close to when he and Axel agreed to meet up. Roxas slipped on his shoes and headed into the kitchen to grab everything he had bought for the night. After he double checked he was sure he had everything, Roxas grabbed his keys, kissed Turkey on the forehead, and headed out. 

He opted out of taking his car as the Clocktower of Twilight Town was only a few blocks away. As he walked closer to the clocktower, his nerves were bouncing off his skin. He had no idea what to expect and that made his excitement grow more. 

Approaching the clocktower, Roxas spotted Axel’s car, but there was no sign of his friend. He had to be up on the top already. Looking to make sure security wasn’t around, Roxas slipped under the rope that led to the stairs and headed up to the very top. 

When he reached the top, Roxas had to lean over and catch his breath. Man, he was out of shape. He straightened up when he heard movement and grinned upon seeing Axel, who was in the middle of setting up chairs around a camping table. 

The table had already been set up and covered with a floral table cloth, candles, and two plate settings. 

“Wow, this looks nice,” Roxas said as Axel placed some containers on the table. 

Axel turned and grinned. “You look nice,” he quipped, which caused Roxas to blush. 

Roxas cleared his throat and lifted the bag, “So do you.” Axel was wearing a pair of nice black skinny jeans, a red long sleeve shirt and a dark gray scarf wrapped around his neck. “I brought wine and chocolate covered strawberries, for dessert.” 

“Sweet, I’ll put them in the cooler, that way they’re still cool when we get to them. Have a seat,” Axel gestured to the seat across from him. 

Roxas took a seat as he was advised and held his glass as Axel started to pour wine. He looked at the containers to see what all Axel had packed. 

“I had been craving enchiladas for a few weeks now, so I hope you don’t mind,” Axel said shyly as he finally took a seat. 

Shaking his head, Roxas started helping Axel open the containers that were closest to him, “Nah, enchiladas sounds perfect.”

As they got their plates ready, Axel told Roxas about his trip to Altissia, “Isa’s excited for the wedding, but I think he’s most excited to have Xemnas finally move in with him,” he explained as he sprinkled extra cheese over his food.

Roxas nodded, “How are you two doing? I know the whole marriage was a facade, but no hard feelings between either of you while you’re getting a divorce?” 

Axel sealed the bowl of cheese and set it on the table, “Yeah of course! I’m really happy for him and Xemnas. And Isa and I are cool. I seriously owe him so much. He says I can pay him back by being his best man and doing his engagement photos, which I don’t think is enough to pay him back for everything he’s done for me, but if that’s what he wants, then that’s what he’s going to get.” 

“That’s awesome, I’m glad things are working out for you guys,” Roxas said glancing over the side of the wall. He could see most of Tram Common and the farmlands of Twilight Town. From where they sat, he could also see trains arriving at the station for a late night arrival. 

If he looked hard enough, Roxas could probably find his mom’s apartment from where they stood. The sun was starting to set and a red hue had settled over the town. “The view is really beautiful up here, isn’t it?” Roxas asked, watching as a train prepared to leave the station. 

“Yeah, it is,” Axel said. Roxas glanced over at him to find his friend’s attention was on him and he couldn’t help but blush, knowing Axel wasn’t referring to the view. 

Taking a bite of his food, Roxas stared out at the horizon again, admiring the view. “I’ll admit, I was nervous coming up here, agreeing to do the list. But I’m glad I did,” he admitted. 

“I’m glad too. I think it was a great idea,” Axel agreed. 

They talked some more while they ate, the conversation flowing from topic to topic. Once they finished their meal, Axel got up and grabbed a bag that was tucked away from view. 

“I got you something else for your birthday,” he grinned. 

Roxas gave Axel a playful look, “Ax, you shouldn’t have. I was okay with just the tickets and this being my birthday present.” He gestured to their dirty plates and half drank glasses of wine. He wasn’t expecting anything else from Axel. 

Axel just shrugged his shoulders before looking at the bag expectantly, “Can’t take it back now. Come on, open it!” He bounced in his seat, excited to see Roxas' reaction. 

Laughing, Roxas slowly pulled out the object from the bag which was carefully wrapped in tissue and what felt like bubble wrap. Setting down the bag, he started to tear off the paper and then removed the bubble wrap to reveal a white victorian frame. Inside the frame was a picture of him and Turkey. Turkey had his feet on Roxas’ chest as he was leaning forward to lick at Roxas’ nose. 

Roxas examined the photo, his chest feeling exceptionally warm at the image. He remembered when it happened, the first time Turkey actually came out of his room when Axel was over and was actually social and had even laid on Axel’s lap while they talked.

He didn’t remember Axel taking out his camera to take the photo, but then again he was also preoccupied with Turkey trying to clean his nostrils. 

“Do you like it?” Axel asked gently, pulling Roxas from his thoughts. Without speaking or thinking, Roxas gently set the frame back into the bag before moving so he was closer to Axel. 

As his friend went to say something else, Roxas grabbed his shirt gently and pulled him into a kiss. He heard it first, the first intake of a shuddering, loss of breath from Axel, then the release of breath as Axel grabbed the back of his neck to hold him in place as he kissed back. 

Releasing his hold on Axel’s shirt, Roxas flattened his hands against his chest, letting them rest there as he kissed him again, relishing in the way the kiss felt so new and exciting, yet so familiar and comfortable. 

A few moments passed before they pulled away, Roxas blushing as he patted Axel’s chest, “I’m guessing you really like the gift?” Axel teased which caused Roxas to stick his tongue out at him. 

“Yeah, this was, this was really sweet,” Roxas said picking up the frame and admiring it again. He wrapped it up carefully before placing it back into the bag and tucking it away so it didn’t break. 

“So about that dessert,” he grinned. 

\---

Roxas leaned up against the clocktower wall and looked up. “You remember when we went to Riku’s house for a party? I think it was for the start of summer,” he said looking over at Axel, holding out the box of chocolate covered strawberries. 

Axel’s eyebrows furrowed as he took a strawberry out of the box and took a bite, “The one before my senior year?” he asked. 

“Mhm, tonight reminds me a lot of that night. I found you on the rooftop and you were super drunk,” Roxas reminisced, taking a bite of his own strawberry. 

“That was the summer Reno left. He was accepted into a college back in Midgar and basically packed his bags and left. Didn’t even wait for Kairi and I to get home from school. Just left notes on our beds. I was furious,” Axel said, staring down at his cup. He took a sip of his wine before setting the cup down and finishing his strawberry. 

“I remember, it was also the night you asked me out. I thought I was a joke, but I realized, despite how intoxicated you were, you were dead serious,” Roxas said. 

Axel hummed, “what about that night?” He asked, taking a sip of his wine. Roxas noticed his glass was empty, so he stood up to grab the bottle from the table. 

“Tonight just reminded me of that night. I don’t know why.” Roxas shrugged as he returned with the bottle. As he went to take a seat, Axel pulled him into his lap and Roxas got situated so he was straddling his hips. 

He raised his eyebrows at Axel who just turned away for a moment before holding up a chocolate covered strawberry. Roxas laughed before taking a bite out of the treat.

“How long have you been wanting to do that?” he teased, opening the bottle of wine and pouring some more into both of their cups.

Axel took the cups from Roxas and set them down as he placed the wine bottle down, “About as long as I wanted to do this,” he replied, gripping the front of Roxas’ shirt and pulling him into a kiss.

Roxas sighed relaxing into it, wrapping his arms around Axel’s neck to pull them closer. The mix of chocolate, strawberries, and dessert wine on Axel’s tongue made Roxas sigh again as it slipped into his mouth.

When they pulled apart, Roxas’ face was flushed and his eyes were closed as he relished in the way his lips tingled.

He opened his eyes to find Axel smirking at him and he rolled his eyes before shoving his shoulder playfully. “Fuck off,” he laughed.

They spent the rest of their evening finishing off the strawberries. Axel occasionally would feed one to Roxas, which made him blush profusely. 

When they were finished, they cleaned up their things and headed down the stairs. They walked to the apartments together, Axel refusing to let Roxas walk home by himself in the dark. He called an Uber on the way over to ensure he got home safely.

As the Uber arrived, Roxas stood on his tip toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Text me when you get home,” he requested as he watched Axel climb into the Uber.

Once he was completely alone, Roxas headed inside and went to bed. 

\----- 

“Oh Roxas, I’m so glad you were able to make it tonight!” Aerith said as she opened the door, taking the bouquet of flowers from him. She gave him a kiss on the cheek before letting him inside, closing the door behind him. 

Riku and Sora were busy in the kitchen as Ventus, Terra, and Zack were outside setting the patio table. He could see Prompto and Ignis were out back tending the grill. Ventus looked over from where he was setting plates and Roxas tried to ignore the way Ventus’ eyes narrowed in on him. He shrugged his shoulders, shifting under his twin brother’s gaze, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable in his own skin.

“Hey Roxas, glad you could make it! Come outside and have a seat, dinner’s just about ready. Want anything to drink?” Zack asked. 

“Just water for me. I have work in the morning.” Roxas said taking a seat as Aerith, Zack, and the others took their seats. Sora eagerly took a seat next to Roxas as Riku set the food down on the table before taking his own seat on Sora’s free side. 

Aerith and Zack sat across from each other, Prompto and Ignis sat next to Aerith and Ventus and Terra took the remaining seats. They said a quick prayer before serving themselves. “So Roxas, tell us about your date with Axel,” Ventus said, feigning innocence as he started to eat. 

Roxas stared out at the table before throwing a glare at Ventus as the rest of the table started to chatter. 

“I didn’t know you were seeing anyone, let alone Axel!” Aerith leaned onto her hand, her attention on Roxas. 

Cursing Ventus, Roxas patted down the napkin on his lap before facing his mother, “That’s because I’m not seeing anyone, especially not Axel,” he said with a small smile. 

Sora, Riku, Ventus and Terra all stared at Roxas in disbelief, “Then what would you call that romantic dinner you two had a few nights ago?” Sora asked. 

Roxas pursed his lips as he stabbed a piece of fruit with his fork, “I guess you could consider that a date,” he mumbled. He looked up at his family before averting his eyes. 

“Well, tell us about it Roxas,” Aerith gently pried. 

Licking his lips, Roxas clasped his hands together, “We went to the clock tower to have dinner. Axel made lasagna and garlic bread. We had dessert, drank some wine and stargazed until it got too late.” he shrugged, stabbing a couple pieces of broccoli. 

Aerith reached over to smooth her hand through Roxas’ hair, before moving to settle her hand on his neck, rubbing his cheek with her thumb, “That sounds like a lovely night Roxas.” She gave him a sweet smile. 

Aerith turned to the rest of the table with a playfully stern look, “Now, Ignis, you said you had something to share?” she asked, directing everyone’s attention to Prompto’s partner. 

Roxas silently thanked his mom as Ignis patted his mouth with his napkin before continuing, “With Prompto’s tour finishing in Altissia, I’m moving my practice to Radiant Garden,” he explained. 

Prompto excitedly bounced in his seat, “We’ll be closer than Altissia, even if it’s an hour away and we’ve found a house that’s big enough for the four of us. Everyone will have to visit once we’re all moved in,” he grinned. 

Everyone gave them their congratulations, Ven and Terra asking Prompto about their new house and how they knew a good contractor if they wanted to do any work on it. Zack also offered to help them move when the time came. Riku and Sora started to clear everyone’s plates and brought out the tart dessert Riku had been perfecting all week. 

As Roxas waited his turn for a piece of the tart, Aerith turned to him, with her chin in her hand. She gave him a smile and he raised an eyebrow at his mother, “Hello mom,” he said, amused. 

“Hi Rox, so now that Ventus and Sora are preoccupied, tell me about your dinner with Axel,” She grinned widely. 

Roxas rolled his eyes at his mom as heat rose from his neck up to his face. “I mean, there’s really nothing to tell. We had dinner, he did get me a really nice framed photo of Turkey and I… I forgot to mention that earlier,” he rubbed the back of his neck. 

Aerith gave him an amused smile, squeezing his hand, “So tell me, are you and Axel getting back together?” 

Looking over at his mom, Roxas wasn’t sure what to say; sure they kissed. He shrugged, “I have no idea,” he admitted.

Smiling, Aerith took Roxas’ hand and placed it against her cheek, “You’ve always been able to make the right decision when it’s presented to you. This won’t be any different.” She kissed the back of his hand before releasing it as Sora came out with dessert plates.

Roxas thanked him and thought about what his mom said. He would know when the time was right, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THEY KISSED YAY!!!!
> 
> If it wasn't obvious, the angst part of this story is over and now we're focusing more on fluff and _romance~~_
> 
> Also, Demyx is my favorite character to write. He's just so fun. 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated <3


	10. Dating

Axel leaned against the doorway of the office, watching as his ex boyfriend, Roxas, scoured through a filing cabinet, filing away documents of his most recent patient’s information.

Axel’s eyes roamed over Roxas’ backside, admiring how a loose fitted tee hung around Roxas’ shoulders and conformed to his shoulder blades; how it caught on just the top of his jeans, accenting his butt and especially how his jeans were just like the skinny jeans Axel himself wore back in high school.

Roxas was clueless to his gawking visitor as he continued to file paperwork and check his phone, stopping to send a text every ten to fifteen seconds, caught up in his own world. 

“Some things never change, do they?” Axel spoke up after a few more moments of watching Roxas work. His friend jumped and turned to face the voice that startled him. His demeanor quickly shifted and he relaxed when he saw it was Axel.

“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting you so soon. Please, come in and make yourself comfortable. I have a few more things I need to do before we head out.” Roxas said before turning back and shuffling another manilla folder into his filing cabinet.

Taking a few steps into Roxas’ office, Axel looked around the neatly decorated room and stopped to look at a collage frame that hung above Roxas’ desk. Inside were pictures of Roxas and his family, his Sphynx cat, Turkey, and one of Roxas with someone with bright pink hair and a fedora. Axel assumed that it must have been Roxas’ ex-boyfriend, Raito. 

But there was one photo in particular that caught his attention. The photo that caught his eye was a picture of him and Roxas at Roxas’ Senior Prom. It was a selfie, with Roxas’ arm draped around Axel’s neck, who happened to be eating sea salt ice cream. Someone, who Axel believed to be Hayner, had stood behind him, and held up a peace sign to make bunny ears. 

Axel remembered the night fondly and he couldn’t believe that after all this time Roxas not only still had it, but he also proudly framed it for everyone who came into his office to see.

“That was one of the best nights of my life,” Roxas chimed in, pulling Axel’s attention away from the photo. 

Axele nodded, “Yeah, I remember sneaking out of Riku’s after-party to get ice cream for everyone because we were all so hot.”

Roxas bumped his shoulder with Axel’s, “Yeah his AC had died and it was one of the warmer summers. I remember he thought his dad was pulling pranks. We all wished it was his dad.” He laughed.

Axel grinned, wrapping his arm around Roxas’ neck and ruffled his hair, “How much time do you got til your next appointment?” He asked, releasing Roxas so he could fix his hair. 

“I believe about 3 hours, why?” Roxas asked, stepping away to the mirror he had hanging up by his desk as he began running his fingers through his hair.

Roxas watched from the mirror’s reflection as Axel shoved his hands in his pockets, “Thought we could get coffee or lunch; if you’re hungry. My client cancelled on me and I’m free till tonight.” He explained.

Roxas turned to Axel and nodded, “Sure what did you have in mind?” He grabbed his keys and wallet from his book bag.

“You know the coffee house everyone goes to? I was thinking there. Nothing fancy, but I figured we could sit, talk, make fun of the pigeons waiting for passersbys to drop food.” Axel said as he shrugged. 

Roxas beamed and nodded, “Yeah! That sounds fun! I feel like we haven’t really seen each other since the clocktower.” He said with a hint of sadness.

Which was true. The past few weeks were nothing but exchanged texts and random encounters at the grocery store. Axel had finally sold his childhood home and had spent the last two weeks moving into his apartment. 

Roxas had been busy with an uptick of patients due to schools being out for the summer and when he arrived home after a long day of work, he usually passed out on the couch.

Finding time to hang out was proving to be kind of hard. 

Axel matched Roxas’ smile and the pair headed out of the office. They walked side by side to the cafe which was just across from where Roxas’ office stood.

“You’re off tomorrow right? What are you doing tonight?” Axel asked as they settled into a table next to the bay windows, giving them a perfect view of the pigeons who hopped around and pecked at the food on the ground. 

Roxas looked at Axel with eyebrows raised, “Hm? Oh yeah, I’m off for the rest of the week actually. Tonight, I’m doing laundry and maybe coercing Turkey into a bath. Why?” He asked, grabbing one of the menus.

“Well, I do believe there’s been a stall in our road trip plans and I have officially settled into my new place and thought maybe we could celebrate with a movie marathon? I wanted to use the projector here in Tram Common, but it’s already been reserved.” Axel leaned forward and smirked.

Roxas looked up from the menu an eyebrow raised, “So what movie are we watching?” he asked as he looked back down at the menu. 

“I was thinking we could watch some horror movies. I got those Paranormal Activity movies we were obsessed with in high school. I have other classics too, The Blob, the Thing, Friday 13th.” Axel listed off the movies he could remember off the top of his head. 

A server stopped by to drop off some water and to tell them to stop by the counter when they were ready to place their orders. Axel and Roxas thanked her before she left the table to help other customers. 

“I haven’t seen the Paranormal Activity movies in awhile,” Roxas mused as he took a sip of his water. “Why not? Should I bring anything?” he asked. 

“Just your cute self, I have everything we’ll need.” Axel grinned at Roxas. 

Rolling his eyes, Roxas hit Axel’s arm playfully with his menu, “Go order our food, I want the apple pasta.” he said, returning the menu where he found it. 

Axel laughed as he stood and left the table to order their food. 

Grabbing out his phone, Roxas looked through his messages, replying to his friend’s group chat and individual messages he received. 

Focusing on his phone, Roxas hadn’t noticed his brother and brother-in-law walk in. As he set his phone down, he looked up to see Ventus and Terra approaching his table, both wearing wide matching smiles on their faces. 

“Hey Roxas, fancy seeing you here.” Terra grinned, as he took a seat across from Roxas. Ventus took the seat next to him and faced him, propping his elbow on the table. 

Roxas looked at his brother and Terra and groaned, “What do you two want?” he asked. 

“Are we not allowed to stop by and visit my dear brother when we randomly see him?” Ventus asked leaning against the table so he was staring at his brother. He grinned at his brother when Roxas narrowed his eyes at him. 

“Yeah, we just wanted to say hi! We haven’t seen you in awhile, you _have_ been busy.” Terra said leaning back in his chair and looked over his shoulder at Axel. 

Roxas groaned as Axel approached the table with their drinks. A confused smile formed on his lips as he raised an eyebrow at their unexpected guests. 

“Oh hey guys, what are you doing here?” Axel asked, taking a seat next to Terra and handing Roxas’ his glass of diet coke he ordered. 

Terra and Ven shared a devious grin before turning back to Axel, “Well, we were heading over for lunch since Terra’s off the rest of the day, but when we came in, we saw Roxy here and decided to stop by and say hello. We didn’t know you’d be here too. We didn’t mean to interrupt your date.” Ventus grinned. 

Axel was in the middle of drinking his water when Ventus implied they were on a date. He coughed on his drink and patted his chest looking at Roxas, whose face was bright red, “We’re not on a date, just having lunch… as friends.” Roxas clarified. 

Axel watched as Ventus bit back a smile and gave Terra an overexaggerated eye roll, “Oh...kay, well, I guess we’ll leave you two to your not-a-date lunch date then.” Ventus said standing up and waiting for Terra to do the same. Terra stood up and walked to the counter, turning to flash a grin at Roxas and Axel. 

Roxas ran a hand over his face a few times before stopping to glare at Axel who was chuckling behind his cup, “I should’ve moved to Traverse Town.” he groaned. 

“I think it’s sweet. They just want to be in your life.” Axel said, setting his cup down. 

“Not you too! I know exactly what they’re up to and if they keep it up they’re gonna end up with coal in their stockings.” Roxas groaned. 

Axel stared at Roxas, “Rox, it’s July.” 

“I’m thinking ahead.” 

“Here you gentlemen go, enjoy your meal.” the waitress said as she dropped off their plates. They thanked her before she left and started to eat. 

“Speaking of, your birthdays in a few weeks, got any big plans?” Roxas asked as he stabbed a couple pieces of pasta with his fork. 

Axel shrugged as he pushed his food around his plate, “Not really, Isa wants me to come to Altissia, but I was thinking of going to the mountains. Stay at my Grandfather’s cabin for a few days, maybe have some company.” he wiggled his eyebrows at Roxas before laughing. 

Roxas shook his head, “I was gonna agree, but then you did that thing with your eyebrows…” he joined in on the laughter, “I’m kidding, I’d love to go camping with you. So long as I get s’mores.” he grinned, taking a bite of his pasta. 

“I think I can arrange that.” Axel chuckled. 

They continued to talk about things they could do during their trip. Local hikes, stargazing and a Mill pond that stood in the middle of the small town just down the road that they could swim and fish in. 

Roxas looked at his watch and groaned, “I have to get back to the office. I have an appointment in an hour and I wanted to finish filing.” he said as he pulled out his wallet to pay for their portion. 

“Oh, I already paid earlier, my treat remember?” Axel said as he took out his own wallet and set out a ten munny for a tip. 

With an open mouth and an amused expression on his face, Roxas pocketed his wallet. He shook his head, “Fine, next time is on me.” he stood up and pushed his chair in.

“Sure.” Axel smirked, standing up and following Roxas out of the cafe. 

“Well, I’ll see you tonight? Any specific time I should be there and is there anything I should bring?” Roxas asked as they approached the building doors. 

Axel shook his head, “Be at my place around 8ish? And I can’t think of anything, like I said, I have pretty much everything I need.” he said. 

“Cool, I’ll see you at 9 then.” Roxas said. He chewed on his lip before stepping forward and giving Axel a quick hug, waiting until Axel returned the hug before he stepped away. He gave Axel’s hand a squeeze as he said good-bye and headed inside. 

\----

Roxas stood in front of Axel’s apartment door, a shiny 8 screwed in above the peephole. He bit his lip as he knocked on the door. He could hear some commotion behind the door before it swung open. Axel stood in the doorway with a blender in his hand. His face lit up upon seeing Roxas, “Come on in and make yourself at home.” 

Heading inside, Roxas looked around the apartment. The floorplan was similar to his, but the decor screamed Axel. A leather couch was pressed against the wall, a black coffee table stood in front of the couch and two black accent tables stood on either side. An armchair sat adjacent to the couch and a flame point siamese was curled up sleeping peacefully. 

Old movie posters and photographs were hung up on the wall. Most of the photographs were of Kairi, Isa and the cat that laid on the armchair. A few photos of places Axel had visited for work lined the walls too. 

“I like your decor. Those photographs are amazing.” Roxas complimented as he headed into the kitchen. Axel was busy browning meat. Roxas stomach grumbled as the smell of nacho cheese wafted through the air. 

“Thanks, I have some more I need to print and hang up, but the ones I have up there are some personal favorites. I hope you like a Nacho bar, because that’s what we’re having. Reno thought it’d be funny to buy me one of those giant cans of Nacho cheese as a housewarming gift.” Axel rolled his eyes. 

Roxas laughed, “Oh come on, at least he’s making sure you’re eating!” 

Axel threw a playful glare in Roxas’ direction as he stirred the nacho cheese, “You’re supposed to be on my side, keep it up and we’ll watch the movies out of order, starting with the last one.” he threatened. 

A look of faux horror fell over Roxas’ face, “You wouldn’t dare.” 

“I would!” Axel pointed the spoon at Roxas and moved it in a circular motion as if to prove his point. 

Roxas just laughed and leaned against the counter, “Is there anything I can help with?” he asked. It looked like Axel had pretty much everything ready, but he didn’t mind pouring them some drinks or getting plates out. 

“Everything is pretty much ready, there’s sodas in the fridge, or beer. Make yourself at home. Dinner’s just about done.” Axel said.

Roxas nodded once before turning to the fridge to get drinks out, “Cherry coke?” he asked, grabbing out a can for himself. He’d have a beer later. 

“Yeah, it’s still your favorite yeah?” Axel asked as he covered the nacho cheese and went to drain the oil from the meat. 

“Mhm, thank you, do you want anything to drink?” Roxas set his own drink on the counter.

“I’ll take a root beer. Can you grab the sour cream and the jar of jalapenos?” Axel requested as he stirred the nacho cheese.

Roxas grabbed out the requested items and set them on the counter. He took the sodas and headed into the living room. 

“I can make your nachos for ya, all the fixings?” Axel called from the kitchen. 

“Extra jalapenos please and thank you.” Roxas replied back as he took a seat. He set his drink on the coffee table and grabbed the stack of movies that were waiting to be watched. All six of the Paranormal Activity movies were stacked on the coffee table. There were other horror films as well as some goofy comedy movies. Probably to watch before they call it a night. 

Axel came into the living room with two bowls, handing one off to Roxas. “Nachos with extra jalapenos. Lemme put the disk in.” he said grabbing the first movie on the top of the stack and turned on his DVD player and tv. He returned to the couch and took a seat. 

“Oh, sweet thanks.” Roxas took the bowl of nachos, his stomach grumbling as the smell wafted through the air. He started eating knowing once the movie started, there would be a huge mess to clean up. 

The previews for the movie started up and Roxas got comfortable on the couch, having kicked off his shoes and brought his feet up. 

They ate silently as the movie started and when Roxas was done eating his food, he set the bowl down on the table. He leaned against the arm of the couch. The cat that was laying on the armchair started to stir from it’s nap and hopped over to the couch. It walked across Axel’s lap before making its way to Roxas’ lap. 

“Oh, hello, I forgot to ask, when did you get a cat?” Roxas asked, scratching behind the cat’s ears. 

Axel looked over and scratched behind the cat’s ear, “A house warming gift from Isa and his fiance. His name is Dimitri.” he said as Dimitri settled himself into Roxas’ lap. 

Roxas scratched behind Dimitri’s ears once more, “He’s a sweetie.” he gushed before bringing his attention back to the movie. 

They took a few breaks, having to get up and use the bathroom and at some point, Axel wanted to make popcorn. 

By the end of the first movie, Roxas was snuggled into Axel’s side, his hands covering his face. “I forgot how much I hate jump scares.” he peeked through his fingers before turning his head from the screen. 

Axel chuckled and wrapped his arm around Roxas’ shoulders and rubbed his arm a bit, “You’ll be fine once it’s over in about ten minutes.” he said. 

Roxas groaned as he peeked through his fingers again before just covering his eyes completely, “Yeah, but there’s five more movies we have to get through!” he whined playfully. 

As the first movie came to an end, Axel got up to change the discs, while Roxas stood up to stretch his legs, check his phone and use the bathroom. While he was busy, Axel got them more drinks and nachos for himself. 

It was halfway through the third movie that Roxas started to grow tired, fighting back yawn after yawn. It was during the opening of the fourth movie that he settled against Axel’s arm, with Dimitri curled up on his chest, and fell asleep. 

Axel noticed halfway through the movie that Roxas had fallen asleep and he slowly maneuvered his way from his friend. He slowly lowered Roxas to the couch, making sure his head was laying on a pillow. He went to grab a blanket and covered Roxas with it. 

He watched Roxas for a moment, smiling as Dimitri popped his head out from the blanket and snuggled under his chin. Leaning down, Axel rubbed Dimitri’s head wishing Roxas a good night. He quietly cleaned up their bowls and drinks and packed away the leftovers. 

Once everything was put away, he headed to his room and called it a night. 

\----

Roxas woke up to the smell of eggs and sausage floating through the air. He sat up and rubbed at his eyes, taking in his surroundings. His eyes took a moment to focus on the posters on the wall and he realized that he was still in Axel’s living room. He searched for his phone to check the time. Finding it still in his pocket from the night before, he pulled it out to see it was barely nine o'clock in the morning. 

He stretched before tossing the blanket off his legs, stood up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. He found Axel, who was transferring eggs onto two plates. He looked up when he heard Roxas, giving him a smile as he grabbed the bacon out of the microwave.

On the counter in front of him was regular creamer, sugar and what looked to be confetti cake creamer. 

“Good morning, how’d you sleep?” Axel asked, moving away from the stove to the coffee pot. He grabbed two mugs and started to fill them. He set one of them in front of Roxas “I don’t have peppermint mocha creamer, I hope Confetti cake is okay.” he apologized. 

“I slept fine, I didn’t mean to fall asleep in the middle of our movie night, sorry about that. And yeah, this is fine. I can live a day without my peppermint goodness.” Roxas smiled as he started making up his coffee. He leaned against the counter and took a sip, hoping not to burn his mouth, “Breakfast smells amazing, by the way.” 

Axel grinned as he poured some chocolate chips into the pancake batter, “Thanks, I thought it’d be a nice way of saying ‘thanks for not being mad at me for not waking you up last night’. Which, by the way, sorry about that. You looked so peaceful and I didn’t want to disturb you.” he pouted.

Roxas rolled his eyes playfully, “It’s all good Ax. I don’t mind.” he smiled behind his mug. As he watched Axel make breakfast, his mind started to wander. Was this what dating Axel was like now; sleepovers, breakfast in the morning and his preferred creamer in the fridge?

He watched as Axel showed him the first waffle which was shaped like a meow wow, a fictional character from a mobile app game they started playing. It made Roxas laugh and as Axel continued to make breakfast, one thought ran through Roxas’ head; if this was what dating Axel again was like, then maybe dating him wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooooooo. Roxas is starting to think about dating Axel in a positive light! We'll see how long that lasts >.>
> 
> Also I am so sorry about the delay. My SO was supposed to beta this chapter for me... two months ago... and he forgot halfway through. So I've spent most of my day editing. So any mistakes, just let me know and I'll edit them!
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	11. Birthday Weekend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: mentioned death. Doesn't go into it, but Axel does talk about his mom's after-death wishes (I promise it's nothing bad)

Long drives always ended up in long silences. And long silences meant Roxas’ mind wandered. It was the weekend of Axel’s birthday and they were heading up to Axel’s family’s cabin. From what he remembered, it was Axel’s mother’s side of the family and when his mother passed away the cabin became his the year he turned eighteen. 

There had been a few times where they visited when they were in high school, winter vacations spent at the cabin with Axel’s extended family, and a graduation party had been thrown the year Axel graduated with all their friends. Some of Axel’s family showed up as well to show their support and wish him well in college. 

But this trip was different. There was no extended family driving up with them, no friends already there to greet them and complain about how they had to pee in the woods. 

This trip was just him and Axel and if he was being honest with himself, Roxas’ anxiety was out the roof. What was going to happen? Were they going to have a nice weekend, two friends going on hikes and barbequing all weekend? 

What if something happened? What if they hooked up? Was it smart to hook up with Axel when the last person he hooked up with was Axel’s older brother? There were a lot of factors to consider that Roxas hadn’t considered until silence had fallen over the car. 

He shifted in his seat as the car started to slow down. Looking out the window, he spotted a gas station and pit stop. 

“Sorry, I need to stretch my legs, do you want anything to eat or drink?” Axel asked as he undid his seatbelt and started climbing out of the car. 

“If they have cherry Pepsi, I’d be happy with that,” Roxas said, deciding to get out and stretch his own legs. They had little over an hour left before they arrived at the cabin and Roxas knew he’d be stiff if he didn’t get out and move around. And possibly use the bathroom. 

It wasn’t long before they were back on the road, the only sound was the radio playing whatever music they could find and the rumble of the car. Roxas’ mind started to wander back to his qualms about this trip but he quickly reprimanded himself. There was no guarantee he and Axel were going to sleep together. But if they did, they were adults, they could handle it. 

With the knowledge that he’d be making sure everything was going to be okay, regardless of what happened, Roxas got comfortable in his seat and took a nap. 

An hour and a half later, Roxas woke up to Axel shaking his shoulders gently. “Hey Rox, we’re here,” he said as Roxas groggily started to rub at his eyes. He looked around at his surroundings and nodded. 

Once fully awake, Roxas headed out of the car and started to help Axel unpack it, grabbing his duffle bag full of clothes and his pillow and heading inside. 

They made several trips from the car to the cabin, making sure all the food was brought inside to prevent attracting bears. 

The inside of the cabin was open, with stairs leading to the second floor. Couches were set up around a small flat screen television, with an entertainment center filled with DVDs and movies. 

In the kitchen, granite counters were covered in fancy farmhouse milk jugs which were filled with utensils. Mason jars filled with flour, sugar and other ingredients lined the walls and Roxas wondered how much of this was Axel’s family. 

“Looks like Uncle Genesis finally upgraded the appliances,” Axel mentioned as he ran his hand over what looked to be a brand new stainless steel stove. 

“Nice, does your Uncle do a lot of the upkeep of the cabin?” Roxas asked as he opened the fridge and started putting away the food. 

“Mhm, one of mom’s dying wishes was to have us all do our part. Even though the cabin is under my name, Uncle Genesis spends more time up here, being retired and all that. He actually was the one who showed me how to take care of a car and how to replace the appliances, since dad was always, well, ya know.” Axel shrugged. 

Roxas gave him a sad smile before bumping their shoulders together gently. He handed him a beer and grinned, “Come on, the sun was setting when we arrived so I think we should watch the last of the sunset and maybe grill up some hot dogs for dinner.”. 

They set up a few camping chairs on the large patio where a BBQ and tables had been covered. As they watched the sunset, Axel grilled hot dogs and heated up a can of pork ‘n beans. After dinner was served and eaten, they sat and talked, reminiscing about high school and previous trips to Axel’s family’s cabin. 

After Roxas’ sixth yawn in ten minutes, Axel doused the fire and convinced Roxas to go to bed, as they had an early start in the morning. 

\---

Roxas leaned forward against his knees, trying to catch his breath. Why did he think running down the trail down to the parking lot was a good idea? Especially knowing he was as out of shape as he was. He waved to a family who was making their way up the trail with their incredibly happy golden retriever, who stopped to say hello to Roxas. He gave the retriever a small pat on the head, smiling as the family passed him. He moved further off the trail as Axel walked up to him with a bottle of water. 

“Are you doing okay? I was afraid you were going to start tumbling down with how fast you were going,” Axel said as Roxas took the bottle and gulped down some of the cold water. He stood up and stretched and nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine, but I’m dragging your ass to the gym with me. I am seriously out of shape.” 

Axel just laughed and shook his head, “Come on, there’s a waterfall by the parking lot with picnic benches we can eat our lunch at. I hope you like tuna sandwiches and macaroni salad.” he motioned for Roxas to follow him. 

“I still can’t believe today is your birthday. Where did these past few weeks go?” Roxas asked as he took a seat. Axel pulled out their sandwiches and small containers with macaroni salad in them. 

Axel grabbed out some utensils from the ice chest and handed one to Roxas before taking a seat, “Well lets see, we went to the beach and you got badly sunburnt, so we weren’t able to do anything else for a couple days. Then I had to go to Altissia for engagement photos, and then we saw each other for like five minutes at the mailbox on Friday,” he gave Roxas an overly exaggerated smile. 

Roxas rolled his eyes as he started eating his lunch, “Don’t remind me. My shoulders still hurt from the blisters. And that five minutes at the mailbox was the highlight of my week!” He laughed. 

Thinking back to the past few weeks, Roxas shuddered, remembering the sunburn he had endured. He had grabbed the expired bottle of sunscreen which caused him to end up with a massive sunburn. He could barely move his arms which made showering difficult. 

“How’s Isa doing?” Roxas asked, scooping some of the macaroni salad onto his fork. 

“He’s good, he and Xemnas just moved into their new home. Which is beautiful, but a little excessive. Five bedrooms, six, six bathrooms. I don’t know what they need with that many bathrooms, but I guess it works for them. They’re getting ready to finally announce their engagement too. Which is why when we get home on Monday I’m locking myself in my office to edit those photos. If I don’t reach out after that, please take care of Dimitri for me and let him know I loved him.” Axel dramatically placed his hand on his chest and gave Roxas an exaggeratedly sad frown.

Roxas rolled his eyes at Axel which caused him to laugh. 

They finished their lunch in silence and as Roxas started cleaning up their containers, Axel took pictures of the wildflowers and waterfall. When everything was packed up, they climbed into Axel’s car and drove back to the cabin. 

The drive wasn’t very long and they arrived back to the home away from home in just a matter of minutes. Roxas groaned as he climbed out of the car, the time not moving allowing the muscles to tense and lock after their hike, “Go inside, I can grab the stuff from the car. The beer I packed in the fridge should be cold by now.” Axel shooed Roxas away when he tried to help grab the hike stuff. 

Pouting, Roxas headed towards the cabin before turning back to Axel, “Do you want one too?” he asked, receiving a quick ‘yeah’ in return. 

Heading into the kitchen, Roxas grabbed two beers from the fridge as Axel walked in with the ice cooler from their lunch. He found the bottle opener and popped the caps off before handing one to Axel who thanked him. They headed out back where their chairs had been sitting and took a seat.

“Oh shit, wait here,” Roxas said, placing his beer in the drink holder before heading back inside. He returned a moment later, a black bag with cartoonish fire decorated along the bottom, “Happy birthday Axel.” he grinned. 

Nearly spitting out his drink, Axel set his glass down and took the bag from Roxas. "Rox, you didn't have to get me anything!" he exclaimed, placing the bag in his lap. He waited for Roxas to give him the okay to open it before cutting the tape to open the bag and pulling out the tissue. 

His eyes went wide as he pulled out the first thing, which was a personalized embroidered camera case. Axel’s initials were embroidered in the front in a dark brick red and it was larger than the one Axel currently had; which had been well loved and used. 

“Roxas, this is amazing, I don’t even know what to say!” Axel said, opening the case to examine the inside. There were removable dividers so he could organize the bag as he needed. The top part had a zipper that led to a deep pocket on the top that could be used for film, cleaning kits or whatever other supplies Axel may need. 

“This is, wow. I’ll be right back, I wanna move everything over asap.” He got up and set the bag on his chair before heading inside. He returned shortly with his old camera bag and took a seat and immediately started moving stuff around. 

Once he was satisfied with his placement, he zipped up the bag and tossed the old one into the trash can that stood next to the cabin, “I’ve had that one for far too long and just never got around to getting a new one,” he explained, admiring the bag again, “Seriously Rox, this is just amazing.”

Roxas shrugged bashfully before gesturing to the bag, “You still got one more thing in there.” he hinted leaning back in his chair to watch Axel as he opened the rest of his gift. He pulled out a new fish eye camera lens and Roxas was sure Axel was going to cry.

“Where did you find these? I’ve looked high and low for these and can’t find them anywhere,” he said admiring the lens. Roxas could tell he was eager to start using it and he just sipped on his beer. 

“Do you mind?” Axel asked, gesturing to his camera. Roxas shook his head as he stood up to grab some chips.

“Not at all. I’ll be here, eating and enjoying the quiet.” Roxas grinned as Axel started setting up his camera with his new lens and went to explore around the area and take pictures. 

\----

While Axel walked around the cabin property, testing out his new lens, Roxas eventually got up and started cooking dinner. He barbequed steaks and cooked up campfire potatoes. When Axel returned, he helped get plates and the macaroni salad from their hike and the fruit salad he had prepared for the trip and beers to drink. 

Enjoying the sounds of nature, the pair ate their dinner quietly, watching as birds and squirrels run through the grass. Halfway through their meal, they started talking about previous trips to the cabin. 

“Do you remember my eighteenth birthday?” Axel asked after their dinner had been finished. He was setting the BBQ up so they could roast marshmallows. 

Roxas hummed as he handed Axel a beer, “Yeah, I remember. We came up here a few days early with your sister and her friends. They stayed up in her room for most of the night until dinner. Why?” he took a sip of his beer. 

“I got hit with a wave of nostalgia just now. Hayner’s older brother came up with him and brought a shit ton of alcohol.” Axel took a seat and set his beer in the cup holder of his chair. He got two skewers out and stabbed them through marshmallows.

Roxas snorted, “I remember that, poor Hayner was so embarrassed when he found his brother passed out with his pants down in the bathroom.” he took the skewer that was held out to him and got closer to the bbq. He held the marshmallow just above the fire and moved it around to make sure it was thoroughly roasted. 

“Man, I miss Luxord, he was a cool dude. A little strange hanging out at a barely-eighteen birthday party, but cool nonetheless. Do you remember the night of the party?” Axel looked over at Roxas as he pulled his marshmallow away. 

“Which part? Catching Hayner and Kairi making out in the back, Luxord bringing illegal fireworks on top of passing in the bathroom? Or the police coming to the cabin thinking we broke in and we had to call your uncle to set things straight?” Roxas asked as he started making up his smore. 

“All the good parts, I was thinking maybe of doing something similar. Inviting everyone up. Maybe have Isa and Xemnas come up too. When I was going through chemo, I’d tell Isa stories about coming up here. I remember one time, I was telling him the first time you and I came up here. He said he’d feel weird coming up here if things weren’t resolved, something about this being our sanctuary.” Axel laughed. 

Roxas smiled, thinking back to all the times they had made their way up to the cabin; random weekends when Axel needed to get away, Axel’s birthday, the first weekend of September to close it up before the first snowfall. Axel always made sure to ask Roxas if he wanted to go, even for a day trip. 

“Yeah, I guess, he’d be right huh?” Roxas said, popping the rest of his s’more into his mouth. 

“Yeah, I guess so, I’m going to get some milk, want some?” Axel stood up and headed inside, returning shortly afterwards with two mugs of milk. 

The rest of the evening was spent talking about everything and nothing. As they talked, they went in for more beers and it wasn’t until Roxas yawned four times in two minutes, that Axel decided to call it a night.

“C’mon, it’s bedtime.” Axel laughed as Roxas flipped him off, only to yawn again. 

“Fine.” Roxas gave in, standing from the camp chair and stumbled back only to fall back. 

Axel helped him back up, wrapping his arm around Roxas’ shoulders and Roxas leaned in heavily, basking in the warmth his friend gave off. 

They made their way into the cabin, Roxas letting out a little whine when Axel moved away from him, his side growing cold from the lack of heat. Chuckling, Axel pulled Roxas into his side once more, leading him into his bedroom. 

Roxas snuggled into Axel’s shoulder, looking up at him with a drunken grin, “Your eyes are so pretty.” he giggled as he fell onto the bed. 

Ignoring the compliment, and the way his cheeks started to burn from the flush and alcohol, Axel ran a hand through Roxas’ hair, “Are you able to get undressed okay?” he asked. 

Big, fogged-by-alcohol, blue eyes stared up at him and Roxas nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be fine.” he grinned. 

“Okay, goodnight Roxas,” Axel leaned down to press a kiss to Roxas forehead. 

As he was pulling away, Roxas had a determined look on his face. Before Axel got the chance to ask what was wrong, Roxas closed the space between them, kissing him, a little sloppily. Axel sighed against his mouth, kissing back before pulling away, resting their foreheads together. 

“Good night, Roxas,” Axel said as he backed away slowly. 

Roxas watched him, drunk smile on his face, “Good night Axel.” 

\---

The next morning was spent in a slow motion, hungover fog. “Did I do or say anything stupid last night?” Roxas asked as he prepared his plate with eggs, bacon and grapes. He grabbed his mug and thanked Axel as he put some creamer and sugar into it. 

“You told me I had pretty eyes and then kissed me. But nothing too embarrassing.” Axel teased, causing Roxas to groan. “I’m so sorry.” his groan faded into a laugh.

“Just promise me the next time you get the urge to kiss me, it’s while you’re sober.” Axel winked before taking a seat so he could eat his breakfast. 

Roxas blushed as he dug into his own breakfast, “I can’t make any definitive promises.” 

They ate their breakfast in a relatively pleasant silence, small conversations popping up here and there. Axel told Roxas some of his plans for Isa’s engagement photos and how he was hoping to deliver them to Isa in person to see his reaction. 

When breakfast was finished, Roxas helped Axel with the dishes, drying and putting them away. With dishes finished, Roxas got started on packing his things and putting away camping chairs. They walked through the cabin to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything before locking up. 

By the time they were on the road again, Roxas’ headache was starting to ease up, the aforementioned kiss long forgotten about and they were singing and laughing, talking about a possible trip back up to the cabin in August before Axel needed to close it for the Winter and whether or not Turkey and Dimitri would get along. 

As Axel pulled into a gas station to get some gas and some snacks, Roxas watched him with his hand in his chin. If the universe would allow it, he hoped there would be more trips to the cabin like this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh hey, I updated. 
> 
> I have part of the next chapter written. I'll do my best to get out by next week, but we'll see. I may just update sporadically for the rest of the year. 
> 
> Or maybe I'll finish everything up first. 
> 
> I'll keep you guys updated. <3
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated!


	12. Disaster

Reality seemed to hit Roxas all at once when he returned home from his trip with Axel. The first week felt like it dragged on as he got back into the swing of things; hour sessions with his patience felt like they lasted five hours, dinner felt like it took far too long to make and Roxas was sure he was only getting a few hours of sleep versus the eight hours he was actually getting.

As soon as his family knew he was home, they insisted they all have a family dinner, acting as though Roxas had been gone for a whole year, rather than just a few days. 

They asked him about the trip and if Axel liked his presents. Sora was adamant to know if the cabin was the same as it was when they were teens and when Roxas told him that Axel was planning on having a small weekend getaway with everyone, he seemed just as thrilled. 

It was the following weekend that Roxas received a text from Axel letting him know he was alive. 

A: I liiiiiive. I liiiiiiive!!

R: Frankenstein’s monster...is that you?!

A: Ha. Ha. Very funny. And to think I have a bottle of Rosé with your name on it

R: Okay, okay, I apologize. How’d Isa like the photos?

A: He cried. Which wasn’t the response I was expecting. 

A: I thought he’d just smile and thank me profusely, but he actually *cried*

A: It was weird. 

R: :o 

R: I’m glad he liked them though

A: Yeah me too

R: Now, about that Rosé….

A: It’s waiting

R: On my way :D

Roxas grabbed the pie he had made earlier that week and made the short walk over to Axel’s apartment. When Axel opened the door to let him in, he laughed upon seeing the baked goods in Roxas’ hands. “Did you know I’d be coming home today?” he asked. 

“Nah, it’s my turn to bring dessert for the family dinner and somehow ended up making too many. How was your trip?” Roxas asked as he placed the pie in the oven for a few moments to heat up. He took the wine glass Axel handed him and took a sip. 

“It was good, a bit boring honestly. I gave Isa his photos and that was really the only time I saw him, he and Xemnas were doing wedding stuff for a majority of my stay. Isa felt bad, since I went all the way there, but it wasn’t completely fruitless. I had left some photography and work stuff there when I moved, so I was happy to bring that home with me. Plus I did some shopping, I know it’s only September, but it doesn’t hurt to get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping right? Anyway, I’m excited to have a break from traveling before the wedding though, as much as I appreciate Isa using his miles to allow me to travel, it’ll be nice to stay in Twilight Town for a few months,” Axel explained closing the bottle and placing it into the fridge. 

“Does this mean I get my evenings of tormenting you back?” Roxas asked, jumping up on the counter and grabbing his wine to sip on it some more. 

“Yeah, but I like when you torment me,” Axel shrugged as he moved to stand in between Roxas’ knees, one hand on his thigh, the other holding his own glass of wine, “By the way, I was wondering, I got a call from this storage facility, I guess my dad had a storage unit and because I’m his facilitator, they have to get my permission before they auction it off. I was wondering if you’d want to go with me? Maybe sort through the stuff my dad decided to keep and help me move any of it? Or just be there for moral support?” he asked. 

Roxas raised an eyebrow at the hand on his thigh, but said nothing as he took a sip of his wine. He licked his lips as he thought it over, “I’m not doing anything important this weekend, so sure, I can help,” he said after a moment. His plans for the weekend were watching cheesy rom-coms while cleaning his apartment. The cheesy rom-coms could wait to be watched for another week. 

Axel’s face lit up at Roxas’ answer and leaned into his personal space to give him a quick kiss. Roxas had noticed right before the kiss, how Axel smiled just the tiniest bit, green eyes focused on Roxas’ mouth before kissing him. It was mid kiss that Roxas replayed the kiss in his head, memorizing how soft and welcoming it was. It was when Axel pulled away that he realized how badly he wanted to see that smile all the time. 

Roxas grabbed Axel’s shirt, gripping the back of his neck gently and pulled Axel into another kiss. He slipped his fingers under the neckline of Axel’s shirt, his thumb rubbing up and down the length of his neck. Roxas let out a shuddering breath as Axel kissed him back, hands slipping under his shirt, hands warm against his back. 

They separated after a few more kisses were exchanged, Roxas’ shivering as Axel’s warm hands left his back to rest on his thighs for a moment before removing them completely. He found himself leaning towards Axel, not quite done with kissing him, but quickly righted himself, in fear of falling off the counter. He sipped on his wine as Axel grabbed out the bottle of wine from the fridge and motioned for Roxas to follow him. 

He hopped off the counter and followed him into the living room.

Afterwards, they fell into easy conversation, a mix of a life, work hobbies and other random topics that popped up during conversation. Roxas told Axel about how his family were quick to drill him about their cabin trip and when he was going to drag him to one of their family dinners. 

“You’ll have to let me know when the next one is. I would be more than happy to accompany you,” Axel grinned as they laid on the couch, Roxas’ back against his chest. 

Roxas snorted and took a sip of his wine, “There’s this one this Friday, but my family would have a conniption.” 

Silence fell over them and Roxas slowly sipped on his wine. He felt Axel shift behind him, so he moved so Axel could get up. He watched as Axel turned on the tv and held up a few movies, “You wanna watch one?” he asked.

Looking over the covers, Roxas nodded, “Nightmare on Destiny Islands, it’s a classic,” he grinned. 

Axel nodded and put the movie into the player before taking his spot back on the couch. He wrapped his arm around Roxas’ chest, holding him close. 

Without a word, Roxas just smirked behind his wine glass and watched the movie. 

Halfway through the movie, Axel and Roxas had moved their positions, Roxas snuggled into Axel’s side, the perfect position for him to hide his face when he thought he’d be facing a jump scare. 

As he buried his face into Axel’s shirt, he shivered at the reassuring circles being rubbed into his back and the knowingly smug look on Axel’s face. 

\----

Roxas pulled up to the storage unit, parking his car next to Axel’s and getting out. He waved to his friend who was talking to the manager of the storage unit. 

“...I’m sorry to hear about your dad, son. He was well...he seemed to have had a change of heart during his last few months. Almost as he knew it was too late, but wanted to make things right with what time he did have. He was going to AA meetings, the last time we spoke he was three months sober.” the manager said unlocking the storage unit and opening the door. 

Watching as Axel made small talk with the manager, Roxas decided to head inside the storage unit and look around. Majority of the stuff in the storage unit were furniture and boxes, all labeled with Axel’s and his siblings' names. 

Roxas found a box of photo albums and grabbed one out. He started flipping through it. Pictures of Axel and his siblings from when they were real little covered the pages. There were pictures of them at local pumpkin farms, them dressed in their Halloween costumes and eating candy. As he flipped through the pages, Halloween turned to Christmas and with it, Axel and his siblings were dressed like little elves. 

He stopped on a picture of Axel with a woman whom Roxas assumed was his mother. She was beautiful, long red-hair with striking green eyes and a gentle smile as she held a toddler aged Axel. 

“I thought my dad had gotten rid of all this stuff,” Axel confessed as he peered over Roxas’ shoulder. 

“I remember you said your dad took your mother’s death pretty hard. I can’t imagine he’d want you and your siblings to forget who she was, but maybe, the memories were too much?” Roxas suggested as he placed the album back before grabbing another. 

This one had Axel engraved in gold foil and upon further inspection, Roxas found it was a photo album dedicated to just Axel. Pictures ranged from when he was just a few days old in the hospital to when he graduated high school. 

As Roxas went to return the album three envelopes slipped out of the back and onto the floor. He picked them up and sorted through them, finding they were all addressed to Axel, Reno and Kairi. 

“Hey Axel, Look what I found?” he handed him the envelopes, hovering by to see what they contained. 

Axel’s eyebrows furrowed as he took the envelope that was addressed to him and opened it. His eyes scanned the pages before growing wide. Tears started to form in the corners and Roxas quickly moved to see what was said. 

Dear Axel, 

It’s taken me a long time to write this, I wasn’t even sure if I wanted to write this. Not because I don’t have anything to say, I have plenty to say. I have come to terms that it probably has become too late. You have every right to hate me and are under no obligation to even forgive me. 

Your friend, husband? Isa? Reached out to me. He sent me the letter you wrote. He explained in his own letter your condition. I’m so sorry Axel. I can’t believe it. One of my sons was diagnosed with cancer. And you weren’t even 21 yet. 

Isa tells me you’re in remission now. Which I am so happy to hear. 

I read your letter and believe me when I say, I want to do better. I need to do better. I’ve spent so much of yours, Reno’s and Kairi’s lives just being an awful father. I was so wrapped up in my own grief and all three of you, look so much like your mother, it just made things worse. And as I drank, the worse it got. My grief turned into anger and I started taking it out on you guys. 

You did get the majority of it, you have your mother’s eyes Axel. Every time I looked at you, I was reminded of what I had lost. I realize now, I had thrown away something I couldn’t afford to lose. Nothing I say will ever make up for the pain I caused you. 

I just wanted to let you know, I am so proud of everything you have accomplished. You have become such a great young man Axel. You are a better man that I could ever be. 

I hope we can see each other before my liver gives out. I’d like to tell you how much I love all three of you guys in person. 

Love, Dad. 

Roxas gnawed on his lips as he took the letter from Axel and folded it before placing it on the table. He stood in front of Axel and pulled him into a hug, Axel instantly burying his face into Roxas’ shoulder as he gripped on his shirt and cried.

All the hurt and pain Axel felt was out in the open and there was nothing Roxas could do to take away what Axel was feeling. All he could do was stand there and hold his friend while he let out his feelings. 

They stood there for several moments, Roxas petting at Axel’s hair and whispering reaffirming things to help him calm down. He pressed a few kisses to his hair and temple, hoping the physical contact would help settle Axel in his distraught state.

Once Axel felt he had calmed down enough, he stood up and wiped his eyes, “I need to call Reno and Kairi, I’ll be just a moment, do you mind start grabbing the boxes with my names on it? I’m gonna pay for another month of storage. Figured that’d give them enough time to come visit and figure out what they want to take.” he explained. 

Nodding, Roxas pulled Axel into another hug before heading back into the storage unit, finding boxes with Axel’s names on them and packing into the back of his car. 

Axel returned just moments later and wrapped his arms around Roxas’ waist, resting his forehead against his shoulder. 

Roxas leaned back and rubbed the back of his hands with his thumbs, “I got all the boxes with your name on it packed away in your car. You wanna get out of here? I can pick up some drinks, maybe get some food? We can binge and watch movies or something,” he suggested. 

“Yeah, I’ll meet you there? I’ll pick up food if you pick up the wine,” Axel asked, removing himself from Roxas. He wiped at his eyes and Roxas couldn’t help but reach out and cup Axel’s face, running his thumb over the apple of his cheek. Axel took his hand and laced their fingers together. 

Roxas nodded, giving Axel’s hand a squeeze before heading off to his car. As he promised, he stopped at the local liquor store and picked up a bottle of wine. 

When he arrived back at the apartments and headed to Axel’s place, he found Axel sitting on the floor of his living room, bags of Mexican take out sitting next to him, waiting to be eaten. The coffee table was pushed up against the wall near the door while the couch was against the wall. Axel had a photo album in his lap and he was leisurely looking through the memories it held. 

“I’ll put this in the fridge so it gets cold.” Roxas said making his way to the kitchen. He grabbed two beers and returned to the living room. He took a seat next to Axel and handed him a beer before joining him. 

They sat, ate and talked about the stuff they found, Axel reminiscing about gifts his mother had given him before she passed away that he had kept in his room until he went to college. It was after college that his stuff had disappeared. 

“At some point, I thought dad hated me so much that he just threw out all my personal stuff. I always thought he was going to sell the house and move. Be closer to work and leave us all behind. Now? I’m not sure what any of this means.” Axel gestured to the boxes and the letter that was open on the coffee table. 

Roxas stared at the letter and looked over at Axel giving him a sad smile. He reached over and took his hand, “I’m sure it’ll make sense as time goes on. Right now, just focus on what you do know.” he squeezed Axel’s hand. 

Axel looked over at Roxas and returned his smile. He moved his hand so his fingers were laced with Roxas. He shifted so he was facing Roxas, “What I do know are my feelings for you haven’t changed over the past seven years. I was thinking that maybe you and I could make this official?” he asked. 

Tilting his head, Roxas’ looked at Axel with confusion, “Official?” he asked. 

“Yeah, official, like go on actual dates, be my boyfriend?” Axel asked with a hopeful look on his face. 

Roxas eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he stared at Axel’s face. He was shell shocked, unsure how to answer; was there a right or wrong answer to Axel’s question? 

Of course, he wanted to be Axel’s boyfriend. There was nothing more he wanted than that. But was right now, the best time to start dating? Axel had just found out his dad was trying to sober up before he died. He had all of his things back, memoirs and keepsakes that he had thought were long gone. Surely, this question was simply because Axel was trying to avoid the emotional rollercoaster that was his life… right?

“I don’t know Ax, you just got this letter from your dad and you found all your missing stuff, I think you may be in a very vulnerable, emotional state and I think maybe you should take some time to evaluate what it is you really want. The relationship with your dad and the emotions that come with this kind of discovery are at the forefront of your mind and I think you’re deflecting so you don’t have to process them, which isn’t healthy,” Roxas watched as Axel pulled away from him. 

Axel just stared at the photo album in front of him, which Roxas could see was from when they were in high school. Photos of Axel’s first day of the new year, random photos he had taken and a few photos of him and Roxas were placed around the page. “Axel I--,” he was cut off when Axel stood up, fists at his side. 

“Just go,” Axel said, his voice wavering as tears pooled at the corner of his eyes. 

Roxas looked up from where he was sitting and quietly nodded. There was nothing else he could do or say to remedy the hurt Axel was feeling. He knew Axel would reach out to him once he sorted out his emotions and feelings. 

Standing up, he grabbed the glasses and bottles and put them in the sink. He made sure he had everything before heading out. As he walked out the door, Roxas turned around to face Axel’s back. The words ‘I love you’ were stuck on the tip of his tongue, but he knew they would just push the dagger farther into Axel’s back, “I’ll be here, when you need me,” he instead promised before heading home. 

When Monday rolled around, Roxas hadn’t heard from Axel so he reached out sending ‘hey’ through text. When he hadn’t received anything by that Friday, Roxas wondered if it’d be a good idea to stop by Axel’s apartment to say hi. Making a rash decision, he headed to Axel’s apartment only to find all the lights off and curtains closed. Deciding Axel probably took a trip to Altissia to clear his mind, Roxas headed back to his own apartment, figuring another quick ‘hey’ would be enough of an attention grabber. 

Another week passed and Roxas sighed in resignation as he pulled up to the apartment duplex and parked in his usual spot. He hadn’t heard from Axel at all and came to the conclusion that he was being avoided. Glancing at apartment number 8, Roxas gave the door a longing glance before getting out of his car and heading into his own apartment. 

Axel would come around in time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey!! It's been a while hasn't it? I took a long break due to working on the soriku big bang and now that I have finished my story (now it's just editing) I can start to focus on Like It Was Yesterday again! I'm hoping to have it finished by March, fingers crossed! If things go well, I'll hopefully go back to my normal schedule of posting on Sundays. For now, have this early update!


End file.
